World · 16 August 2026
Thieves steal 4 Antonello da Messina paintings from Messina museum.
Antonello da Messina via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The gang beat the security systems at the local Museo Regionale di Messina just before 10pm. They forced open a secure display box to take works by 15th-century painter Antonello da Messina, including sections of a 1473 altarpiece. A local councillor suspects the break-in was triggered by the Italian government buying another of the artist's paintings for about £11m earlier this year.
Reported by Sky News · How we write briefs