Thieves steal four Renaissance artworks from the MuMe museum in Messina, Sicily, on the night of 15 August, while people celebrate Ferragosto and the Assumption holiday. The Guardian and other outlets describe an intrusion shortly before 9pm, when streets near the museum are unusually quiet.
Reports say the alarm and security systems are bypassed and a side door is forced to access a display case holding the surviving panels of Antonello da Messina’s 1473 San Gregorio Polyptych (Polittico di San Gregorio), along with a small double-sided panel. Several sources specify that three of the five surviving panels are taken, plus the double-sided image depicting the Virgin Mary and the dead Christ in Pietà.
Outlets largely agree on the number and type of works stolen and the timing during the religious and summer holiday. Some differ in emphasis: the Guardian focuses on how investigators are left puzzled and that part of the polyptych is not taken, while other outlets concentrate on the estimated value and the technique used to circumvent security systems. One outlet notes the incident follows other recent stolen-art developments elsewhere in Italy, but the Messina theft itself remains the central event.
