Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse paintings stolen from Italian museum in 3-minute heist
cnn.com • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, and Henri Matisse were stolen in a three-minute heist from the Magnani Rocca Foundation museum near Parma, Italy, between March 22 and 23.
- Four hooded thieves forced entry through a first-floor door, triggered alarms, and escaped with Renoir’s "Les Poissons," Cezanne’s "Tasse et plat de cerises," and Matisse’s "Odalisque sur la terrasse."
- The museum kept the theft secret initially to potentially catch the thieves if they returned, and no arrests have been made; the museum remains open during normal hours.
- The theft is described as "structured and organized," possibly inspired by a recent Louvre burglary, but the museum's internal security measures limited the thieves' success.
- The Magnani Rocca Foundation houses a significant art collection, including loans from major galleries, and is protected by Italy’s elite Carabinieri art squad, which recovers thousands of stolen artifacts annually.
