Antonello da Messina works stolen from Sicilian museum

Four of the most important works by the 15th-century Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen during a national holiday from a museum in the Sicilian port city of Messina, according to the Guardian. The theft, which took place overnight on August 15, targeted the Museo Regionale, where the thieves took three panels from the artist's Polittico di San Gregorio, depriving the city of part of the only surviving works by the painter still held in his hometown.

The BBC reported that the works were taken without alarms being triggered, raising suspicion of a professional hit. The theft occurred as the Sicilian city held a religious celebration, with local officials expressing dismay and sadness at the loss, according to CBS News. The New York Times confirmed the works were taken as Messina marked a celebration of the Virgin Mary, a significant moment in the city's calendar.

France 24 reported that the four artworks include the three panels from the Polittico di San Gregorio, a polyptych that is central to the museum's collection and to the city's sense of its own history. The theft has been described as a wound to the historical memory and cultural identity of Messina, a city that has long identified itself through the legacy of its most famous painter.