Source : Perth Now news
Italian authorities recovered three paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse worth millions of euros that were stolen from a private museum near the northern city of Parma.
The Italian Carabinieri’s art recovery squad said the paintings were discovered during searches ordered by prosecutors, but no details were given.
The investigation is ongoing.
The three recovered paintings are Fish by Auguste Renoir, Still Life with Cherries by Paul Cezanne, and Odalisque on the Terrace by Henri Matisse.
Authorities said the Cezanne was valued at six million euros ($A9.8 million), the Renoir at three million euros, and the Matisse at 20,000 euros.
The heist at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, about 20km from Parma, took place on the night of March 22-23, with thieves forcing open the entrance door, police said.
Local media reported that the thieves took the paintings in less than three minutes and escaped across the museum gardens.
Established in 1977, the foundation hosts the collection of art historian Luigi Magnani and also includes works by Dürer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya and Monet.
The museum believes a structured and organised gang was responsible for the theft, which the alarm interrupted, local media reported.
The crime followed a series of high-profile heists at major European museums, including the theft in October of French crown jewels and other items worth 88 million euros from the Louvre in Paris.
