Overview
- The theft occurred Saturday night during Ferragosto when thieves bypassed the Museo Regionale di Messina's alarm and security systems and took three of the five surviving panels of the 1473 San Gregorio Polyptych plus a small double-sided devotional panel.
- Museum staff closed the site for evidence collection and Messina prosecutors and police are reviewing surveillance footage as part of an active but early-stage investigation with no suspects or arrests publicly identified.
- Experts estimate the stolen Antonello-attributed works could be worth roughly €70–80 million, a figure that underscores their cultural and monetary importance to Messina and the wider art world.
- Art-crime analysts warn the paintings are instantly recognisable, which makes legal sale unlikely and increases the chance they will be moved through criminal networks or used as illicit collateral.
- The heist follows high-profile Antonello activity this year, including a state purchase of Ecce Homo at Sotheby's and recent recoveries of stolen Old Master works near Parma, which authorities cite as part of a broader surge in targeted art crimes.