Four pieces of art painted by Antonello da Messina in the 15th century were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina, as confirmed by Italy’s culture minister on Sunday. Expressing shock and sadness, Alessandro Giuli lamented the theft, highlighting the significance of losing part of the only existing works by the Renaissance artist in his hometown and a painting acquired by the Sicilian Region twenty years ago.

The theft occurred on Saturday night during a national holiday in Italy, according to media reports. Marisa Mercurio, the museum director, described the incident as devastating, noting that the theft occurred just before 10 p.m. She emphasized the importance of the stolen pieces, referring to them as two of Antonello da Messina’s most crucial and renowned works, underscoring the significant loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.

Enzo Caruso, a local councillor overseeing culture, likened the event to a movie scene and suggested that the recent purchase of a Messina artwork by the Italian state for $15 million may have attracted the attention of the thieves. Among the items stolen were three out of the five remaining panels of an altarpiece called “Polittico di San Gregorio.” Originally consisting of six panels and intended for a local monastery destroyed in the 1908 earthquake, this altarpiece was the only piece by the Sicilian painter that had never left his birthplace.

Another stolen artwork was a small two-sided painting depicting the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other, taken from a secure display case. This piece, part of the Wilhelm Soldan collection, was sold by Christie’s to the Sicilian Region in 2003 and was attributed to the artist that same year.

In a related development, Italy’s Culture Ministry recently acquired a two-sided painting, known as “Ecce Homo,” from Sotheby’s, just before it was scheduled for auction. Art-crime analyst Lynda Albertson remarked that the distinctiveness of these works makes them easily identifiable, complicating any attempts to sell them through legitimate channels. She warned that stealing these renowned artworks might be simpler than offloading them, as they are likely to be recognized, potentially leading to financial losses for the thieves.

Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, honed his craft in Naples, where he studied the works of Provençal and Flemish artists, evident in his own creations. He later returned to Messina in 1457, where he continued to work until 1474. The theft coincided with Italian police recovering three paintings by French masters stolen from a museum near Parma earlier in the year.