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Art heist in Italy: Four masterpieces worth 80 million euros stolen from Messina museum
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด Romania /Culture & Society

Art heist in Italy: Four masterpieces worth 80 million euros stolen from Messina museum

From Adevฤƒrul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Four masterpieces attributed to Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Regional Museum of Messina in Italy.
  • The artworks, valued at approximately 70-80 million euros, were taken during local festivities.
  • Authorities are investigating the theft, which involved bypassing security systems, and experts note the stolen pieces are difficult to sell legally due to their high recognition.

A brazen art heist has left Italy reeling after four invaluable masterpieces attributed to the Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Regional Museum of Messina (MuMe). The theft occurred Saturday evening during local festivities celebrating the Assumption of Mary, with thieves managing to bypass the museum's security and alarm systems. They made off with three of the five surviving panels of the 1473 "Polyptych of San Gregorio" and a double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary and Christ in Pietร , which was removed from a reinforced display case.

We are devastated by what happened. These were two of the most important and best-known works by Antonello da Messina. It is a huge loss for the museum, the city, the community and the art world.

โ€” Marisa MercurioThe director of the Regional Museum of Messina expressed her devastation following the theft of four masterpieces.

Art experts have placed the value of the stolen works between 70 and 80 million euros ($81-92 million). Museum director Marisa Mercurio described the loss as "enormous" for the museum, the city, and the art world, emphasizing the works' significance to the region's identity. While two panels of the polyptych were abandoned by the thieves during their escape, the four taken are considered essential elements of Messina's cultural heritage.

These are not just works by Antonello da Messina. They are works that have considerable importance for our identity, as well as, of course, for their artistic and cultural value, because they are works by our own Antonello da Messina.

โ€” Marisa MercurioThe museum director highlighted the cultural and identity significance of the stolen artworks.

Lynda Albertson, an analyst specializing in art crime, noted that the immediate recognizability of Antonello da Messina's works makes them nearly impossible to sell through legitimate channels. "Stealing an Antonello may be much easier than selling one," Albertson stated, suggesting that ordinary thieves would soon discover the difficulty of profiting from such high-profile stolen art.

Messina without Antonello is deprived of the very essence of the greatest artist of the European Renaissance.

โ€” Enzo CarusoMessina's chief cultural official described the theft as a disaster for the city's identity.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Adevฤƒrul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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