Four masked men executed a swift and calculated robbery at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, making away with three high-value paintings in what authorities describe as a highly organised operation.
The stolen works include Les Poissons by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Still Life with Cherries by Paul Cézanne, and Odalisque on the Terrace by Henri Matisse.
The gang forced entry through the main door of the Villa dei Capolavori, located in the countryside near Parma, before heading straight to the French Room on the first floor where the artworks were displayed. Italian media reports say the entire operation lasted just three minutes, with the suspects escaping moments after the museum’s alarm system was triggered.
Officials at the foundation said the burglars appeared “structured and organised,” noting that the speed and precision of the raid suggested prior planning and knowledge of the layout. The alarm is believed to have disrupted a broader attempt to steal additional works from the private collection.
The suspects reportedly fled the scene by scaling a perimeter fence, according to regional broadcaster TGR. The stolen paintings are estimated to be worth a combined €9 million, with Renoir’s Les Poissons alone valued at around €6 million, making the incident one of the most significant art thefts in Italy in recent years.
Renoir, a leading figure of the Impressionist movement, completed Les Poissons around 1917. Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries, painted circa 1890, is notable for its use of watercolour an uncommon medium in his body of work, particularly in his later years. Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace, created in 1922, depicts two figures, one reclining under sunlight while another holds a violin.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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