Three significant paintings – a Renoir, a Cézanne, and a Matisse – were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation villa near Parma, Italy, on Sunday, March 22nd, police confirmed Monday. The artworks, valued at a combined £8.7 million (approximately €10 million), were taken by a four-man gang in a meticulously planned operation lasting less than three minutes.
The thieves targeted the French Room on the first floor of the villa, gaining entry by forcing open metal bars protecting a back entrance with crowbars. They then proceeded to breach the main door to the gallery, specifically selecting Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Les Poissons (worth an estimated £5 million alone), Paul Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries, and Henri Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace. The gang climbed over a fence to escape after triggering the museum’s alarm system.
“The criminals struck in less than three minutes, not in an impromptu manner but in a well-organised way,” a museum spokesperson stated. Authorities believe the group intended to steal additional artworks but were forced to abandon their attempt when the alarm was activated.
In a peculiar detail, the thieves left behind a fourth painting they had initially removed from the wall. The identity of this artwork has not yet been disclosed by investigators.
An investigation is being jointly conducted by Italy’s Carabinieri and the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Bologna. Police are currently reviewing surveillance footage from the museum and surrounding businesses in an effort to identify the perpetrators and recover the stolen paintings. News of the theft was delayed from public release until Monday.
The brazen nature of the heist has drawn comparisons to a recent high-profile theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris, where royal jewels valued at approximately £76 million (€88 million) were stolen in a daylight robbery less than six months ago. While authorities have not explicitly linked the two incidents, the timing and audacity of both operations have raised concerns about a potential increase in sophisticated art theft across Europe.
As of Monday evening, Italian authorities had released no descriptions of the suspects beyond confirming they were masked and operated as a coordinated unit. The Magnani Rocca Foundation has not yet commented on the security measures in place at the villa prior to the theft, nor have they indicated when the gallery will reopen to the public. The investigation remains ongoing.
