Four masked men broke into a museum near Parma, Italy, and stole paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse worth several million euros.
Foreign news agencies reported that four masked men entered the villa of the Magnani Rocca Foundation and stole "Les Poissons" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "Still Life with Cherries" by Paul Cézanne, and "Odalisque on the Terrace" by Henri Matisse.
The incident occurred on 22 Mar 2026 but was only disclosed on Sunday (29 Mar). Italian media reported that the gang took just three minutes before the museum's alarm system interrupted their operation, preventing them from stealing more artworks.
This art institution is the latest victim of a global theft wave, following a precious jewel heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris last October.
Reports state that the thieves entered through the main door of the villa "Villa dei Capolavori," located in the countryside near Parma, and went straight to steal paintings from the "French Room" on the building's first floor.
The foundation stated that the gang appeared to have a "structured and systematic plan" and seemed intent on stealing more paintings if the private collection's alarm had not sounded and alerted the police.
TGR, the regional public television station of Italy, reported that the thieves escaped by climbing over a fence. The stolen paintings are estimated to be worth a total of 9 million euros (around 340 million baht), with "Les Poissons" alone valued at 6 million euros, making this one of the largest art thefts in Italy.
Currently, the Carabinieri, Italy's military police, and Bologna's Cultural Heritage Protection Unit are investigating the incident to track down the culprits.
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Source:bbc