Four Antonello da Messina artworks stolen from Sicily museum

Four artworks by 15th-century Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina in Sicily on the night of August 15, Italy's Ferragosto holiday. The thieves took three of five surviving panels of the Polittico di San Gregorio altarpiece and a small two-sided painting from a secure display case. Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli said he learned of the theft with shock and sadness. The museum remained closed on Sunday as investigators collected evidence.

Times Now News reports that local councillor Enzo Caruso said the state's purchase of an Antonello da Messina work for $15 million earlier this year may have drawn criminals' attention. The Times of India quotes art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson as saying the stolen works would be difficult to sell through legitimate channels because they are instantly recognisable. The heist comes days after Italian police recovered three stolen paintings by Cezanne, Renoir and Matisse near Parma.