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Italian police recover Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse works after heist
Three paintings valued at over $10m found five months after overnight theft near Parma
Adriana Sole620 wordsEdition №84Saturday, 15 August 2026 — Edition № 84
Italian police have recovered three paintings by the French masters Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse that were stolen from the Fondazione Magnani Rocca museum in Mamiano di Traversetolo, near Parma, in March, according to the Guardian. The artworks are collectively valued at more than $10 million, the New York Times reported, citing prosecutors.
Police released new CCTV footage of the theft on Friday, showing two masked burglars entering through a window and grabbing the works, the Guardian reported. The BBC also aired the footage after the recovery was confirmed. Nine Moldovans are being investigated in connection with the theft, Al Jazeera reported.
The recovery closes a five-month search that began with a nighttime heist at the foundation, a private museum in Emilia-Romagna housing a collection of 19th- and 20th-century art. Le Monde noted the paintings were worth more than €10 million combined, underlining the significance of the find for Italy's cultural heritage.
