Italian authorities announced the successful recovery of three valuable paintings by renowned French artists Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir that were stolen from a museum near Parma in March. The Carabinieri officers from Italy’s cultural heritage protection unit found the artworks in an apartment in Parma, with nine Moldovan nationals now under investigation for the theft. The stolen paintings, including Cézanne’s “Tasse et Plat de Cerises,” Renoir’s “Les Poissons,” and Matisse’s “Odalisque sur la Terrasse,” were taken from the Fondazione Magnani Rocca museum in Mamiano di Traversetolo on the night of March 22-23. Art experts estimated their combined value to exceed €9 million ($14.4 million).
A video released by the police depicted the swift theft, where two masked burglars entered the museum through a window, swiftly removed the paintings from the wall, and fled the scene in less than three minutes. The Fondazione Magnani Rocca, known for its private collection curated by the late music critic Luigi Magnani, features works by renowned artists like Titian, Francisco Goya, Claude Monet, and others.
The recovery of these prized artworks marks a significant achievement in combating art theft and preserving cultural heritage.
