Antonello da Messina Altarpiece Panels Stolen in Daring Heist
On August 15, during the Vara procession in Messina, Italy, five panels from Antonello da Messina's Polittico di San Gregorio, along with a small double-sided painting, were stolen by two thieves who breached the fence of the Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare. The heist, which unfolded in two to three minutes, was recorded by surveillance cameras and took advantage of the bustling Ferragosto holiday. The culprits wore motorcycle helmets and might have had accomplices. An unalarmed door was used, and a museum employee mistakenly deactivated the security system for the altarpiece, believing it to be a false alarm. Shortly after the theft, two panels were discovered on a nearby wall. The prosecutor's office is investigating potential mafia connections. The museum now has black panels covering the vacant space.
Key facts
- Five panels of Antonello da Messina's Polittico di San Gregorio and a small double-sided painting were stolen from the Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare in Messina.
- The theft occurred on the night of August 15 during the Vara procession, a major religious event.
- The robbery lasted only two to three minutes and was captured on cameras.
- Thieves cut a fence and forced a side door; they wore motorcycle helmets and may have had accomplices.
- Two of the five panels were found carefully placed on a low wall outside the museum about ten minutes after the theft.
- The altarpiece is the only work by Antonello da Messina that remained in his hometown and survived the 1908 earthquake.
- Art recovery lawyer Christopher Marinello said the paintings will soon be considered 'radioactive'.
- The prosecutor's office has not ruled out mafia involvement.
- The museum also houses two Caravaggio paintings; a Caravaggio Nativity stolen from Palermo in 1969 remains unrecovered.
Entities
Artists
- Antonello da Messina
- Caravaggio
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir
- Paul Cézanne
- Henri Matisse
- Jan van Eyck
- Rogier van der Weyden
- Marisa Mercurio
- Wilhelm Soldan
- Alessandro Giuli
- Giulio Carlo Argan
- Max Scheler
- Cézanne
- Renoir
- Matisse
Institutions
- Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare
- FBI
- Museo Regionale di Messina
- Monastero di San Gregorio
- Christie's
- Sotheby's
- Art Recovery International
- National Gallery in London
- Italian government
- MuMe (Museo Regionale di Messina)
- Finestre sull'Arte
- LetteraEmme
- Artribune
- Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare di Messina (MuMe)
- Polizia di Stato
- Carabinieri
- Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Culturale
- Procura distrettuale di Messina
- Squadra Mobile
- Fondazione Magnani Rocca
- MuMe – Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare di Messina
- Regione Siciliana
- Ministero della Cultura
- Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturali
- ANSA
- La Sicilia
- Messina in Diretta
- Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare (MuMe)
- Museo Regionale Accascina
- University of Messina
- Ansa
- TG La7
- Regional Museum of Messina
- Italian Ministry of Culture
- Magnani-Rocca Foundation
- Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare di Messina
- Procura di Messina
- Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale
- BBC News
- The Guardian
- The New York Times
- Regional Museum of Messina (MuMem)
- Sicilian regional government
- Wilhelm Soldan collection
- Four Seasons
- MuMe – Museo regionale interdisciplinare “Accascina”
- Museo Regionale Accascina Messina
- MuMe museum
- Museo regionale Accascina
- Accascina Regional Museum
- Church of San Gregorio
- Archeoclub d'Italia
- Magnani Rocca Foundation
- Sky News Italia
- Artlyst
- Museo Regionale di Messina (MuMe)
- Storia dell'Arte
- Raidue
- Oratorio di San Lorenzo
- Italian State
- Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina
- Italian culture ministry
- Louvre
Locations
- Messina
- Italy
- Palermo
- Strait of Messina
- Sicily
- Venice
- Naples
- Boston
- New York
- Mediterranean
- Viale della Libertà
- Viale Annunziata
- Calabria
- Catania
- Reggio Calabria
- Ringo
- Parma
- Oratory of San Lorenzo
- Traversetolo
- Roma
- Annunziata
- Lake Como
- Kamala
- Thailand
- Phuket
- Harrison
- Maine
- Bridgton
- Lake Sherwood
- California
- Mexico
- Museo regionale interdisciplinare “Accascina”
- San Gregorio convent
- Oratorio di San Lorenzo
- Paris