Italian police released footage showing the recovery of three artworks by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse valued at several million euros, stolen from a museum near the city of Parma earlier this year.
Italy's Carabinieri police published a video of their operation to raid and recover three famous artworks by world-renowned artists Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse. These paintings were stolen from a private museum on the night of 22 to 23 March. The three paintings were found hidden in an apartment in Parma on Friday, 14 August local time.
The video released by the Carabinieri's cultural heritage protection unit shows officers searching the apartment before discovering the paintings concealed in wardrobes and various rooms. Officers then removed the paintings, unwrapped the coverings, and carefully examined their condition.
Officials also sent the paintings to the Carabinieri's Scientific Investigation Unit (RIS) to verify details and assess the condition of the artworks.
The three recovered artworks are "Fish" by Auguste Renoir, "Still Life with Cherries" by Paul Cézanne, and "Odalisque on the Terrace" by Henri Matisse.
Italian authorities estimate Cézanne's painting is worth 6 million euros (about 220 million baht), Renoir's around 3 million euros (approximately 110 million baht), and Matisse's about 20,000 euros (around 730,000 baht). All were stolen from the Magani Rogga Foundation, located about 20 kilometers from Parma.
Police stated the thieves broke into the museum by forcing open the entrance door, stole the paintings, and escaped through the museum's garden. Local media reported that the crime took less than three minutes before the suspects fled.
The museum believes the theft was carried out by a well-planned and organized criminal gang. The museum's alarm system was partially effective in stopping the theft.
The Magani Rogga Foundation was established in 1977 and houses the collection of Luigi Magani, an Italian art historian. It also displays works by famous artists such as Dürer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya, and Monet.
The recovery of paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse comes amid a series of art thefts across Europe, with previous major heists hitting several important museums.
One of the shocking incidents was the theft of French royal orders, crowns, and other valuables from the Louvre Museum in Paris last October, with losses estimated at 88 million euros (over 3.2 billion baht). Recently, four Renaissance-era paintings worth a fortune were stolen from the Regional Multidisciplinary Museum of Messina on Sicily, Italy, on a Saturday night around 21:50 local time. These repeated thefts from renowned museums and art collections have brought renewed attention to the security challenges of protecting high-value artworks.
: SourceAP
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