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Three invaluable paintings by renowned French artists Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse were stolen from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation in northern Italy.
The professional burglary occurred overnight between March 22 and March 23, 2026, at the villa museum located in Mamiano di Traversetolo, near Parma.
Four masked individuals forced entry through a first-floor door and successfully made off with the artworks in a highly coordinated operation that lasted less than three minutes.
The stolen masterpieces include Renoir’s Les Poissons (1917), Cézanne’s Still Life with Cherries, and Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace.
These pieces are of significant cultural and economic value, particularly as they were among the few works by these iconic artists permanently on display in Italy.
Although the museum’s security systems and the swift response of the Carabinieri prevented the thieves from taking further items, the gang managed to flee across the museum’s park before they could be intercepted.
This incident follows a string of high-profile art and luxury thefts across Europe, including a daring $102 million jewellery heist at the Louvre in Paris last October.
Italian authorities, including the specialised Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit, are currently analysing surveillance footage from the museum and surrounding businesses.
The Magnani-Rocca Foundation, which houses the prestigious collection of art historian Luigi Magnani, remains a critical cultural hub.
However, the loss of these three works represents a significant blow to Italy’s national heritage.
