Masterpiece Heists: A Pattern of Cultural Pillage The theft of four Renaissance masterpieces from a Sicilian museum has left Italy's cultural establishment reeling.
The brazen burglary at the MuMe regional museum in Messina, where thieves bypassed security systems and escaped with works attributed to Antonello da Messina, raises fresh concerns about the vulnerability of Italian cultural institutions.
Among the stolen pieces are three panels from the San Gregorio Polyptych and a double sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary and the dead Christ.