The 3-minute art heist that shocked Italy has taken a major turn

Italian authorities have recovered three paintings by renowned artists Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse that were stolen from a private museum near Parma earlier this year, according to police.

The artworks were found during searches carried out on orders from prosecutors, Italy’s Carabinieri art recovery squad said Friday. Investigators have not disclosed where the paintings were located or whether anyone has been arrested. The probe remains ongoing.

Three artworks worth millions recovered

The recovered works are “Fish” by Renoir, “Still Life with Cherries” by Cézanne and “Odalisque on the Terrace” by Matisse.


Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries was estimated to be worth 6 million euros ($7 million), making it by far the most valuable of the three. Renoir’s Fish was valued at 3 million euros ($3.5 million), while Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace was assessed at around 20,000 euros ($23,000).

The recovery brings an important breakthrough in a case that drew attention to security at one of Italy’s better-known private art collections.

Paintings stolen in a three-minute raid

The theft took place at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, around 20 kilometres from Parma, during the night of March 22-23.

According to local media reports, the thieves managed to remove the three paintings in less than three minutes before fleeing through the museum gardens. The museum has reportedly suspected the involvement of a well-organised criminal group, with an alarm interrupting the raid.

Authorities have yet to reveal how the paintings were recovered or whether the suspects identified in the investigation were connected to their disappearance.

Museum houses works by Europe’s great masters

Founded in 1977, the Magnani Rocca Foundation is home to the collection assembled by Italian art historian Luigi Magnani.

Its holdings include works associated with some of Europe’s most celebrated artists, including Albrecht Dürer, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Francisco Goya and Claude Monet, alongside the three recovered paintings.

The theft highlighted the continuing challenge faced by museums and private collections in protecting high-value artworks from organised criminals.

Recovery comes amid high-profile European art thefts

The Italian case comes against the backdrop of a series of major museum thefts across Europe.

Among the most closely watched was the October robbery at the Louvre in Paris, where French crown jewels and other items worth an estimated 88 million euros ($101 million) were stolen.

The recovery of the Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse works now gives Italian investigators a significant lead as they continue examining how the paintings were taken, moved and ultimately located.

(With AP inputs)