The Small Detail That Brought Down the Thieves: How the Masterpieces Stolen in Italy Were Located

Italy's Carabinieri art recovery unit has located three masterpieces by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse that were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation museum near Parma, about five months after the heist. The key was a pickaxe and a fire extinguisher left at the scene, from which serial numbers were recovered. The works, valued at around €9 million, were found in an apartment in Parma. The investigation focuses on a gang of nine suspects born in Moldova.

Italy's Carabinieri art recovery unit has located three masterpieces stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation museum near Parma, about five months after the heist. The works, by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse, were found in an apartment in Parma. The thieves left a pickaxe and a fire extinguisher at the scene, from which they tried to erase the serial numbers; forensic investigators restored the numbers, and these led to the suspects. The works were stolen on the night between March 22 and 23 from a country villa in Traversetolo, about 20 kilometers from Parma. Their total value is estimated at around €9 million: the Cézanne at €6 million, the Renoir at €3 million, and the Matisse at about €20,000. According to the Parma police chief, Andrea Pagliaro, the investigation focuses on a gang of nine suspects born in Moldova, five of whom are accused of carrying out the robbery. Video footage showed the thieves breaking in and taking down the works within minutes, and the alarm interrupted the operation.