Three paintings by Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse valued to be millions of euros were stolen from The Magnani Rocca Foundation, a private museum near Parma in northern Italy, authorities announced on Monday (March 30) via the Associated Press.
The heist took place overnight between March 22 and March 23, with the thieves gaining access by forcing open the museum’s entrance door, according to police. The paintings stolen in the robbery included ‘Fish’ by Renoir, ‘Still Life with Cherries’ by Cézanne, and ‘Odalisque on the Terrace’ by Matisse.
The private museum is located about 12 miles from Parma in the heart of the countryside. Local media outlets reported that the thieves managed to pull off the heist in less than three minutes and escape through the museum’s gardens.
The Magnani Rocca Foundation was launched in 1977 and hosts the collection of art historian Luigi Mangnani, which includes works by Albrecht Dürer, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck, Francisco Goya and Claude Monet. Museum officials believe the heist was committed by a structured and organized gang, however, the museum hasn’t released a statement regarding the incident on its website and reportedly wasn’t reachable when the Associated Press sought a comment.
The incident is the latest in a string of high-profile heists at major European museums following the $101 million theft of three jewels and other items from the Louvre in Paris in October.
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