Four da Messina paintings stolen from Sicilian museum

Four paintings by Renaissance-era artist Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Regional Museum of Messina on Sicily, according to The Guardian.

Consensus

Four paintings by Antonello da Messina were stolen from MuMe in Messina, Sicily.
The theft occurred on the night of August 15.
Three of the five surviving panels of the Polyphtich of Saint Gregory were stolen.
A double-sided wooden panel depicting the Madonna and Christ was also stolen.
The stolen works were taken from a secured display or vitrine.
The museum's security system was disabled by the perpetrators.
The museum director expressed shock and described the loss as significant for the museum, city, and art world.
The museum was closed on August 16 for investigation.
Police are analyzing surveillance footage and investigating the crime scene.
Two of the five original panels were later found on Via della Libertà, likely lost during the escape.
The theft occurred during the Ferragosto holiday and the La Vara religious festival.
The incident followed the recovery of three stolen paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse from a museum in Parma.

Historian Marat Safarov suggested that museum staff may be involved in the theft, citing precedents of museum employees participating in art thefts, but did not confirm it. — vesti
Safarov speculated that the stolen artworks were likely intended for sale on the black market, possibly on request from art dealers. — vesti
The acquisition of another work by the Italian state for $15 million earlier in the year may have drawn criminal attention to the museum. — vedomosti
Initially, all five panels were stolen, but two were later found on Via della Libertà. — fontanka
The double-sided painting was acquired by the museum from Christie’s in London. — kommerant
The Italian Minister of Culture, Alessandro D’Alia, confirmed the theft and specified the works as three parts of the San Gregorio polyptych and a two-sided icon of Madonna and Christ. — tg_bbcrussian
The theft occurred during the celebration of Ferragosto and the La Vara festival. — tg_theinsider
The stolen works include three polyptych panels of San Gregorio and a two-sided painting of the Virgin and Christ. — tg_tass_agency