A set of four rare renaissance artworks were stolen from a museum in Sicily over the weekend – the latest in a string of high-value thefts to hit museums on the continent.
According to reports, three panels of the Polyptych of San Gregorio and a double-sided panel of the Madonna with Child and Christ in Pietà, all attributed to the early Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina, were taken from the Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina on Saturday 15 August in an overnight smash-and-grab raid by three masked thieves.
Like several other recent raids, the theft may have been timed to coincide with a local event, in this case the festival of the Assumption of the Virgin, which took place at the weekend.
Italy’s culture minister Alessandro Giuli said the paintings were of “extraordinary value for our cultural heritage” and that the theft had left him feeling “dismay and regret”.
The artworks are valued at around €80m. A local official told Reuters news agency this week that the theft may have involved organised crime. Enzo Caruso, Messina's councillor for culture, said it was difficult to understand how thieves could have removed the works in a matter of minutes without detailed knowledge of the museum's layout.
Recent museum heists
On 5 July, a masked gang stole 27 rare pieces of Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewellery and art, worth around €4.5m, from the Musée Lalique in Alsace, France, in an overnight raid.
On 24 July, a 2,500-year-old gold torque was taken from the Musée du Pays Châtillonnais – Trésor de Vix in daylight by two men posing as visitors.
In March, masked thieves stole three Impressionist and Modern masterpieces valued collectively at €9m from the Fondazione Magnani Rocca museum in Parma, Italy, in a night-time burglary. According to Reuters, the paintings have now been recovered and nine Moldovan nationals have been placed under investigation over the theft.
On 19 October 2025, the most high-profile heist in recent years took place – the audacious daylight robbery of Napoleonic crown jewels worth upwards of €88m from the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Several people have been charged in connection with the crime but the eight stolen pieces have not yet been recovered.
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The EU’s law enforcement agency Europol warned this week that there had been a shift in tactics regarding museum thefts, with criminals employing increasingly aggressive and targeted methods.
The agency said: “Thefts in museums are generally regarded as a non-violent form of organised property crime. But recent cases indicate a shift.
“Offenders are using more direct and confrontational methods, while increasingly targeting specific types of cultural artefacts.”
Europol is due to publish a report this month, Changing Tactics, Changing Targets: the Evolving Nature of Museum Heists, which will examine recent cases and emerging trends, and what they mean for European security.
In July, France’s Ministry of Culture said it was deploying a new security strategy for historic sites and places that conserve cultural property.
According to the ministry, the latest cases demonstrate “new and increasingly organised, rapid and determined modes of operation” and require a “comprehensive and resolute response from the state”.
The action plan calls for a “significant increase in the level of security” at vulnerable sites. Proposed actions include mapping the most sensitive sites according to their degree of fragility, strengthening a “culture of safety” through awareness raising and specialised training, and integrating safety and security into the objectives of museum and heritage leaders.
