Italy's art crime police unit has successfully recovered three masterpieces by great Impressionist painters that were stolen from a private museum in March, reports infohub.kz.
The artworks were taken on March 22 during a robbery at the Magnani Rocca Foundation's private museum. The intruders broke into the villa's grounds using a previously stolen tractor to smash through the sturdy gates. The alarm triggered, forcing the criminals to flee quickly through the garden. In their haste, they abandoned another valuable Renoir painting, "Landscape at Cagnes," at the scene.
Among the recovered masterpieces are "Fish" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "Odalisque on the Terrace" by Henri Matisse, and "Still Life with Cherries" by Paul Cezanne. The combined value of the three recovered works exceeds $10 million. The most valuable piece among the stolen set is considered to be Cezanne's still life, valued at $7 million. It is an extremely rare work by the artist, featuring only cherries as the fruit.
Italian law enforcement has not yet disclosed details of the special operation to locate the paintings. However, as part of the investigation into the high-profile crime, nine Moldovan citizens have been arrested. They are currently in custody pending further legal proceedings. Representatives of the Carabinieri expressed immense gratitude to all officers involved in the recovery of the artworks.