August 17, 2026 | 05:55 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Criminals have once again targeted a small regional museum to steal priceless artworks on public display, this time in Messina, Sicily.
Local authorities say robbers bypassed alarm and security systems at the Regional Museum of Messina (MuMe), Italy, around 10:00 p.m. (2000 GMT) on Saturday evening as the city celebrated the high point of its "Ferragosto" summer holiday, the Catholic Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Thieves were able to make off with several panels painted by Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina, the most important artist ever born on the island of Sicily.
Three of the five surviving panels from Antonello's 1473 "San Gregorio Polyptych" were taken in the robbery as well as a smaller, double-sided panel locked in an armored display case.
"We are devastated by what happened. They were some of Antonello da Messina's most important and best-known works. It is a tremendous loss for the museum, the city, the community and the art world," MuMe Director Marisa Mercurio told Italy's ANSA news agency.
Messina Mayor Federico Basile called the theft "deeply reprehensible," saying it was "even more painful" for having taken place as the city celebrated the Assumption of the Virgin.
The museum remained closed Sunday as investigators searched for evidence.
Read: Louvre's Apollo Gallery Reopens, 9 Months After Heist
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