Four Renaissance Paintings Stolen From Italian Museum
Are European museums doing enough to protect important artworks?
Above: One of the stolen Antonello Da Messina artworks on display in Rome in 2005. Image credit: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
This is the latest in a string of high-profile heists in European museums this year, raising questions about whether the institutions are taking adequate measures to protect the artworks in their possession, especially considering how quickly some of these thefts are being pulled off.
Narrative B
Experts assess that these thieves likely conducted a recce of the museum in disguise to get prior knowledge of its security, or may have even had inside knowledge of such systems. Institutions are putting measures in place, but career criminals are conducting heists so intricate that masterpieces can disappear in minutes.