Italian authorities announced on Friday the recovery of three valuable paintings by renowned French artists Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, which had been stolen from a museum close to the northern city of Parma. Carabinieri officers uncovered the artworks in an apartment in Parma and have initiated an investigation involving nine Moldovan individuals linked to the theft. The stolen pieces, 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. Experts estimated their combined value to be over €9 million ($14.4 million).
A video released by the police showcased the swift theft, capturing two masked burglars entering through a window, swiftly removing the paintings from the wall, and making a quick exit within three minutes. The Fondazione Magnani Rocca is home to a private collection curated by the late music critic Luigi Magnani, featuring works by renowned artists such as Titian, Francisco Goya, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Claude Monet, Peter Paul Rubens, and Giorgio Morandi.
The recovery of these stolen masterpieces marks a significant victory in combating art theft and preserving cultural heritage.