A group of masked thieves executed a rapid heist at an Italian museum, stealing valuable artworks by renowned painters.
Three paintings by French artists Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation, a museum near Parma, Italy, according to police reports. The theft occurred on March 22 when four masked men forced their way into the villa.
The stolen artworks include Les Poissons by Renoir, completed around 1917 and valued at €6 million, Still Life with Cherries by Cézanne from around 1890, and Odalisque on the Terrace by Matisse from 1922. Together, the paintings are estimated to be worth €9 million, making this one of the most significant art thefts in Italy in recent years.
The Heist Details
The thieves entered through the main door of the Villa dei Capolavori and targeted the French Room on the first floor. They completed the robbery in just three minutes before the museum's alarm system activated, preventing them from taking additional pieces.
The gang escaped by climbing over a fence, as reported by Italian media and regional broadcaster TGR. The foundation described the thieves as structured and organized, suggesting they had planned to steal more but were interrupted.
The Magnani Rocca Foundation, established in 1984 in the family home of composer and art collector Luigi Magnani, houses a private collection of artworks. This incident follows other high-profile thefts, such as the robbery at the Louvre in Paris last October.
Italian authorities, including the Carabinieri and the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Bologna, are investigating the case. News of the heist was made public on Sunday, though the exact date of the theft was March 22.
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