Four Antonello da Messina works stolen from Sicilian museum

Four of the most significant works by the 15th-century Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale in the Sicilian port city of Messina during a national holiday, according to the Guardian. The theft occurred overnight on August 15, during celebrations of the Virgin Mary, and was described by local officials as a wound to the historical memory and cultural identity of the city.

The thieves took three panels from the Polittico di San Gregorio, one of the few surviving works by the painter still held in his hometown, as well as a fourth painting, France 24 reported. The works were taken without alarms being triggered, raising suspicion of a professional operation, the BBC noted.

The heist has drawn widespread condemnation from cultural officials across Italy, with the New York Times reporting that the theft occurred as Messina held a religious celebration, adding to the sense of violation felt by residents who regard the paintings as central to the city's heritage.