Italian authorities announced on Friday that three valuable paintings by renowned French artists Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, which were stolen from a museum near Parma in March, have been successfully recovered. The Carabinieri officers discovered the artworks in an apartment in Parma and have initiated an investigation involving nine Moldovan individuals linked to the theft.
The stolen paintings, including Cezanne’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 during the night of March 22-23. Art experts estimated the combined value of the recovered works to be over €9 million ($14.4 million).
A video released by the police depicted the swift theft, showcasing two masked burglars entering through a window, swiftly removing the paintings from the wall, and making a speedy exit in under three minutes. The Fondazione Magnani Rocca is renowned for housing a private collection curated by the late music critic Luigi Magnani, featuring works by prominent artists such as Titian, Francisco Goya, Claude Monet, and Giorgio Morandi.
The recovery of these valuable artworks marks a significant achievement for Italian law enforcement in combating art theft and preserving cultural heritage.
