Italian police recover stolen Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse paintings worth millions

MILAN (AP) — Italian authorities recovered three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions of euros that were stolen earlier this year from a private museum near the northern city of Parma, police said Friday.

A statement from the Italian Carabinieri's art recovery squad said the paintings were discovered during searches ordered by prosecutors, but no details were given. The investigation is ongoing.

The three recovered paintings are "Fish" by Auguste Renoir, "Still Life with Cherries" by Paul Cézanne, and "Odalisque on the Terrace" by Henri Matisse. Authorities said the Cézanne was valued at 6 million euros ($7 million), the Renoir at 3 million euros ($3.5 million), and the Matisse at 20,000 euros ($23,000).

A scanned image shows "Odalisque on the Terrace" by Henri Matisse, one of the three artworks recovered by Italian Carabinieri police about five months after they were stolen, in this handout released by The Magnani Rocca Foundation in Mamiano, Italy. Image provided by Fondazione Magnani Rocca via Reuters

The heist at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Parma, took place on the night of March 22-23, with thieves forcing open the entrance door, police said.

Local media reported that the thieves took the paintings in less than three minutes and escaped across the museum gardens.

Established in 1977, the foundation hosts the collection of art historian Luigi Magnani and also includes works by Dürer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya and Monet.

The museum believes a structured and organized gang was responsible for the theft, which the alarm interrupted, local media reported.

The crime followed a series of high-profile heists at major European museums, including the theft in October of French crown jewels and other items worth 88 million euros ($101 million) from the Louvre in Paris.