Four Renaissance artworks stolen in Sicilian museum heist on Italian holiday

The priceless art was stolen on the Ferragosto holiday, marking the feast of the Assumption of Mary, during the peak of the Italian summer season

Thieves have stolen four works attributed to Sicilian Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina from a regional museum in the city of Messina in Sicily

Roberto Serra - Iguana Press / Roberto Serra, Getty Images Thieves stole four works by Sicilian Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina from the MuMe regional museum in Sicily during Ferragosto, a major Italian public holiday. On Saturday evening, just before 10 p.m., they evaded the museum’s alarm and security system

Four Antonello da Messina works stolen in Renaissance painter's hometownFour works attributed to celebrated Sicilian Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina have been stolen from a regional museum in Messina, Italian media reported Sunday, in a heist carried out during the country’s Ferragosto holiday.The theft took p

Four artworks by 15th century painter Antonello da Messina have been stolen from a museum overnight according to Italy's culture minister.

Four works were taken during public holiday, the day after Italian police recovered paintings by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse Four of the most important works of art by the 15th-century Renaissance master Antonello da Messina were stolen during a national holiday from a museum in the Sicilian port city of Messina. Thiev

The works were taken overnight without alarms being triggered, raising suspicion of a professional hit.

Thieves stole four works attributed to the Sicilian Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina from a regional museum in the Sicilian city of Messina on the Italian Ferragosto holiday, the news agency LaPresse reported Sunday.

The thieves bypassed alarm and security systems Saturday evening at the MuMe regional museum to make off with three of the five surviving panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych, dated from 1473, as well as the double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary and dead Christ in Pietà, which was removed from an armored display

The Italian government in March bought a devotional painting titled “Ecce Homo” by da Messina for $14.9 million.

Art experts say the works are instantly recognisable and would be difficult to sell through reputable channels.

Local officials have expressed their dismay and sadness at the theft which occurred during celebrations of the Virgin Mary.

Thieves steal 4 Renaissance artworks in Sicilian museum heist on Italian holiday  Toronto Star

Video showed the thieves sneaking into the Magnani-Rocca Foundation near Parma to steal the works by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse in just 180 seconds.

Italian police have recovered three paintings by influential French artists Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse that were stolen from a museum near the northern city of Parma in March, officials said.