Italian authorities announced the recovery of three valuable paintings by French artists Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir that were stolen from a museum near Parma in March. Carabinieri officers discovered the artworks in an apartment in Parma and are investigating nine Moldovan nationals in connection with the theft. The paintings were taken from the Fondazione Magnani Rocca museum in Mamiano di Traversetolo during the night of March 22-23, with an estimated value exceeding €9 million ($14.4 million).
The recovered pieces include Cezanne’s “Tasse et Plat de Cerises,” Renoir’s “Les Poissons,” and Matisse’s “Odalisque sur la Terrasse.” Police released a video of the theft, showing two masked burglars entering through a window, quickly taking the paintings, and leaving the premises in under three minutes. The Fondazione Magnani Rocca is known for its private collection, curated by the late music critic Luigi Magnani, featuring works by renowned artists such as Titian, Francisco Goya, Claude Monet, and Giorgio Morandi.