Four paintings described as having "extraordinary value" were stolen from a museum in Messina, Sicily, late Saturday night, according to Italy's Ministry of Culture. The theft took place at the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina during the city's traditional celebrations honoring the Virgin Mary.
The stolen works include three panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych and a double-sided panel of The Madonna and Child, all attributed to Antonello da Messina, a 15th-century artist. According to CBS News, the San Gregorio Polyptych was originally composed of at least five different sections and had been damaged after an earthquake in 1908. The painting of The Madonna and Child is listed on the Christie's auctioneer website as having sold for more than $300,000 in 2003.
Italy's Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli expressed his "dismay and regret" at the theft and said the pieces had "extraordinary value for our cultural heritage." The mayor of Messina, Federico Basile, called the theft a "heinous criminal act" and said he was "deeply outraged," particularly because it occurred during the city's religious celebrations.
"We hope that those responsible will be identified and that our artworks will be returned home," Basile said in a social media post. "Messina will not let its history be stolen."
The theft came just months after the Italian state purchased a separate work by the same artist, called Ecce Homo, at a New York auction for nearly $15 million. No arrests had been announced as of Sunday.
