Masterpieces by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse were stolen in Italy in three minutes — Rai
A daring robbery took place at the renowned Magnani-Rocca art foundation, located in Mamiano di Traversetolo near Parma.
This was reported by Rai News.
The perpetrators demonstrated remarkable speed, taking less than three minutes to steal three paintings of global significance.
The target of the attack was one of Italy’s richest private collections, which houses works by outstanding masters of the past.
Despite modern security systems, a group of masked individuals managed to break down the front door at night and enter the exhibition hall unhindered.
The criminals stole three iconic paintings: “Les Poissons” by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, “Tasse et plat de cerises” by Paul Cézanne, and “Odalisque sur la terrasse” by Henri Matisse.
According to preliminary estimates by art experts, the total value of these works exceeds 9 million euros.
“The investigation has established that the entire operation lasted less than three minutes. Several masked individuals broke into the building at night and carried the paintings out of the exhibition hall,” Italian law enforcement officials reported.
Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage in detail and conducting an on-site investigation.
Investigators suspect that the robbery was meticulously planned and carried out on behalf of an anonymous private collector.
This theory is the leading one, as it is virtually impossible to sell such masterpieces on the open antiques market due to their worldwide fame.
The stolen paintings are too recognizable to appear at legitimate auctions.
Experts from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation note that the galleries also house works by Claude Monet, Francisco Goya, and Peter Paul Rubens.
It is possible that the criminals planned to steal many more exhibits, but the alarm going off forced them to flee in a hurry.
As a reminder, a truck carrying 12 tons of KitKat bars was stolen in Europe.
Also in France, criminals posing as police officers stole nearly 900,000 euros worth of cryptocurrency from a family near Paris.
