Four paintings by 15th-century Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina have been stolen from a museum in Italy.
According to foreign media reports, a group of thieves broke into the museum on Saturday night and stole the artworks.
The incident has been described as a serious blow to Italy’s cultural heritage. Earlier this year, the Italian government purchased a work by Antonello da Messina for $15 million, which may have attracted the attention of the criminals.
The museum is also known to house works by Caravaggio, one of the leading artists of the Baroque period.
Investigators are reportedly considering the possibility that the theft was not an opportunistic crime but a carefully planned operation targeting specific artworks, potentially carried out on a contract basis.
