Four Antonello da Messina Panels Still Missing After Ferragosto Theft; Two Recovered

Overview

• The museum Accascina in Messina was robbed during Ferragosto when thieves stole six 15th-century panels by Antonello da Messina, two of which were later found abandoned and recovered near the museum.
• Investigators from the Polizia, the Carabinieri Nucleo Tutela Patrimonio Culturale and the Procura di Messina are examining CCTV footage and physical traces to reconstruct a roughly two-minute intrusion and to track escape routes and vehicles.
• Authorities have not ruled out any leads, including a possible link to organized crime, and officials say the inquiry remains open as forensic work continues.
• The Regione Siciliana has reassigned the four custodians on duty the night of the theft and opened disciplinary proceedings after reports that the alarm had sounded and staff switched it off while no one was present in the control room.
• A local teacher, Elisabetta Bonfato, identified the two abandoned panels and alerted police by calling 112, and the Questura released the call frame as investigators press for the museum director's report and follow-up evidence that could lead to the missing works' recovery.