Recovered Magnani Rocca masterpieces put art security in focus

Italian police have recovered three paintings by the French masters Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse, stolen in a nighttime heist from the Fondazione Magnani Rocca museum in Mamiano di Traversetolo, near Parma, in March, according to the Guardian. The artworks, collectively valued at more than $10 million, were found five months after the theft, the New York Times reported, citing Italian military police.

Police released new CCTV footage on Friday showing two masked burglars entering the museum through a window and grabbing the paintings, the Guardian reported. Al Jazeera said nine Moldovans are being investigated in connection with the theft, while Le Monde put the combined value of the works at more than €10 million.

The recovery closes a case that had drawn international attention to the security of Italy's smaller museums, which hold significant collections but often lack the protection of major institutions like the Uffizi or the Vatican Museums.