Antonello da Messina Works Stolen From Sicilian Museum

Four of the most important surviving works by the 15th-century Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen overnight from the Museo Regionale in the Sicilian port city of Messina, according to the Guardian. The theft occurred on August 15, a national holiday, as the city held celebrations for the Virgin Mary, the BBC reported.

The thieves took three panels from the Polittico di San Gregorio, a multi-panel altarpiece, as well as a fourth work, France 24 reported. The museum's alarms did not trigger during the heist, raising suspicion of a professional operation, according to the BBC.

Local officials described the loss as a wound to the historical memory and cultural identity of Messina, the Guardian reported. The stolen panels represent part of the only surviving works by the painter still held in his hometown, depriving the city of a direct link to its most celebrated artistic son.