Antonello da Messina Masterpieces Stolen from Messina Museum
Thieves stole four significant artworks by Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina from the Regional Museum of Messina (MuMe) in Sicily during the city's Ferragosto holiday celebrations. While two panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych were later recovered outside the museum,…
Fort Myers Naples, FL, August 17, 2026 —
Four significant artworks by the Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Regional Museum of Messina (MuMe) in Sicily. The theft occurred during the city’s Ferragosto holiday celebrations.
The stolen pieces include works by the renowned painter. Specifically, two panels from the San Gregorio Polyptych were taken. In a subsequent development, two of these panels were recovered by authorities outside the museum premises.
However, two other panels from the same polyptych and a separate double-sided panel by Antonello da Messina remain missing. The total estimated value of the stolen artworks is significant, ranging between 70 to 80 million euros.
The full extent of the loss and the circumstances surrounding the theft are still under investigation. The museum has not released further details regarding the security measures in place at the time of the incident or the specific method of the theft.
Story summarized from the original created by Miranda Jeyaretnam on time.com, see more information here.
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