Thieves bypassed alarm and security systems at the Regional Museum of Messina (MuMe) in Sicily around 10 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, making off with several panels painted by Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina during the city's Ferragosto holiday celebrations.
Three of the five surviving panels from Antonello's 1473 "San Gregorio Polyptych" were stolen, along with a smaller double-sided panel depicting the Madonna and Christ in pietà that was locked in an armored display case. Two of the stolen works were later found abandoned on a low wall in the area outside the museum, apparently left behind by the thieves during their escape when passersby were present.
The polyptych, originally commissioned in 1473 by abbess Fabria Cirino for the monastery of Santa Maria extra moenia, originally consisted of six panels arranged on multiple registers. The central panel depicted the Madonna enthroned with the Christ Child and angels holding a crown, known as the "Rosario" for the rosary symbol on the lower step. Side panels showed Saints Gregory and Benedict, while the upper register contained the Angel Announcing and the Virgin Announced. The central panel of the upper section, which likely depicted the dead Christ supported by angels, was lost in antiquity.
The polyptych was created for the Monastery of San Gregorio, which was destroyed by the earthquake that struck Messina in 1908. The work had never left the city before the theft, according to museum officials.
Three to four individuals with covered faces entered the museum and removed the panels with precision. Police and forensic specialists arrived at the scene immediately and began technical investigations to reconstruct how the theft occurred and gather evidence to identify those responsible.
The museum remained open on Sunday, August 17, with a black cloth covering the base where the polyptych panels had been displayed. The museum employs 15 custodians. One custodian reported observing a person attempting to climb over an external railing that morning.
On August 17, investigative sources stated that a van previously examined by investigators, who had hypothesized it might have been used by the thieves, was not the vehicle used in the robbery.