Four Renaissance paintings stolen from Sicilian museum during holiday

Thieves stole four paintings by Renaissance master Antonello da Messina from a museum in Sicily on 15 August 2026. The works were taken from the Museo Regionale in Messina while residents were watching a traditional religious procession for Assumption Day. The thieves entered the building late on Saturday evening and got past the security systems. The stolen pieces include three panels from a large altarpiece painted in 1473 and a double-sided panel showing the Virgin Mary and Christ. Art experts say the works are worth between 70 and 80 million euros. The museum director described them as some of the painter's most important works. Antonello da Messina was born in the city around 1430, and these were among the few pieces by him still kept there.