According to Reuters, on August 14 local time, the Italian Military Police Command for Cultural Heritage Protection reported that the police recovered three paintings by a French art master. These works were stolen from a museum near Parma in northern Italy in March of this year.
The three pieces recovered are: Cézanne’s "Cup and Cherry Plate," Renoir’s "Fish," and Matisse’s "Dresswoman on the Terrace." Art experts estimate that the total value of the three paintings exceeds 9 million euros (approximately 70.15 million yuan).
The Italian Cultural Heritage Protection Civilian Corps stated that after a 'complex investigation operation' by the police, the aforementioned paintings were recovered. More details will be announced later in the evening.
According to reports, the theft occurred between the night of March 22 and early morning of March 23 local time. The location of the incident was the Magnanio Roca Foundation Museum in the town of Magnanio, near Palma.
The surveillance video released by the police on the 14th shows that two masked thieves broke into the building through a window. After removing three paintings from the wall, they immediately left the building. The entire crime process took less than three minutes.
This museum is a well-known local institution, housing the private collections of the late music critic Maninian. The museum also features works by important European artists such as Titian, Goya, Teoppo, Monet, Rubens, and Morandi.
