The Thieves' Renaissance: Italy's Cultural Heritage Under Siege The theft of four extraordinary Renaissance paintings from a museum in Sicily highlights the vulnerabilities of Europe's cultural heritage.
Three panels of Antonello da Messina's Polyptych of San Gregorio and a double sided panel of the Madonna with Child and Christ in Pietà were stolen, underscoring that even the art world's most prized possessions are not secure.
The Regional Interdisciplinary Museum of Messina has an impressive track record for security. However, thieves managed to evade the museum's alarms and make off with their loot.