Holiday museum heist leaves Sicily mourning stolen masterpieces

Holiday museum heist leaves Sicily mourning stolen masterpieces  The Times

The paintings by Antonello da Messina were taken under cover of a huge religious festival that sees 100,000 people flock to the city of Messina.

Art expert Alberto Fiz estimated the value of the stolen works at 70 million euros ($81 million) to 80 million euros ($92 million).

Thieves steal 4 Renaissance artworks in a Sicilian museum heist during an Italian holiday  CNN

Thieves steal 4 Renaissance artworks in a Sicilian museum heist during an Italian holiday  AP News

Four artworks by Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina have been stolen from the Museo Regionale in Messina, Sicily, overnight on August 15. The thieves took three panels from his Polittico di San Gregorio, depriving the city of part of the only surviving works by the painter still held in his hometown. Italian auth

Theft comes just days after police in the city of Parma announced that they had recovered three stolen artworks by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth about 10 million euros

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

The works, by Antonello da Messina, were taken as the Sicilian city of Messina held a religious celebration.

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

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

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.

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

Three masterworks lifted off the walls of an Italian museum last March have been recovered, and five accused thieves have been arrested. Jonathan Vigliotti reports.