Messina loses Antonello masterpieces in overnight museum theft

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 during the August 15 national holiday, as the city held a religious celebration of the Virgin Mary, and has been described by officials as a wound to the historical memory and cultural identity of Messina.

The thieves took three panels from Antonello's Polittico di San Gregorio, a polyptych that is among the only surviving works by the painter still held in his hometown, France 24 reported. The BBC said the works were taken without alarms being triggered, raising suspicion of a professional hit. The New York Times reported the theft as the city was in the midst of its religious festivities.