Four pieces of artwork by the 15th-century artist Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina, as reported by Italy’s culture minister on Sunday. Alessandro Giuli expressed shock and sadness upon learning of the theft, stating that the incident has deprived Messina of significant works by the Renaissance painter that were unique to his native city. The theft occurred on a national holiday in Italy, with the museum director, Marisa Mercurio, describing it as a devastating loss for the museum, city, community, and the art world.
The stolen artworks included two of Antonello da Messina’s most renowned pieces, part of an altarpiece called ‘Polittico di San Gregorio,’ originally consisting of six panels. Three panels were taken, along with a small two-sided painting showing the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other. Enzo Caruso, a local councillor overseeing culture, suggested that the recent acquisition of a Messina artwork by the Italian state might have drawn attention to the museum, potentially leading to the theft.
The stolen artwork was part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection and was purchased by the Sicilian Region in 2003. Earlier this year, Italy’s Culture Ministry acquired another significant painting attributed to Antonello da Messina, named ‘Ecce Homo.’ Art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson raised concerns about the difficulty of selling such recognizable works through legitimate channels, noting that stolen artworks of this caliber often circulate within criminal networks, serving as collateral for illicit activities.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, trained in Naples before returning to Messina in 1457, where he produced his notable works until 1474. The theft occurred shortly after Italian authorities successfully recovered three paintings by French masters that were stolen from a museum near Parma in March.