Paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse that were stolen in a 3-minute heist recovered

Three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions of euros that were stolen earlier this year in a three-minute heist were recovered by Italian police.

Italian Carabinieri’s art recovery squad said in a statement on Friday that the paintings were discovered during searches ordered by prosecutors in the Parma province and neighboring provinces. Five suspects were detained and they are believed to belong to an organized crime group responsible for numerous thefts of homes, businesses and other properties. Police also recovered stolen goods worth tens of thousands of euros.

The recovered artworks are Paul Cézanne’s “Tasse et Plat de Cerises” (“Cup and Plate ‌of Cherries”), Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Les Poissons” (“The Fish”) and Henri Matisse’s “Odalisque sur la Terrasse” (“Odalisque on the Terrace”). Art experts have valued the three paintings at more than $10 million.

The paintings were taken during a heist at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, a private museum about 12 miles from the northern city of Parma, on the night of March 22-23. Police said thieves forced open the entrance door.

Police on Friday released a video of the theft, showing two masked burglars entering through a window, grabbing the three paintings off the wall, and then immediately exiting the building.

Investigators said they retrieved important evidence at the scene, including a pickaxe and fire extinguisher with their serial numbers removed. Forensic officers were able to reconstruct the serial numbers, which linked them to an apartment building accessible to one of the alleged members of the criminal gang.

The suspects were all born in Moldova and resided in the Parma area, authorities said.

Local media reported that the thieves took the paintings in less than three minutes and escaped across the museum gardens. An alarm interrupted the theft, according to local media.

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 crime followed a series of high-profile heists at major European museums, including the theft of French crown jewels and other items from the Louvre in Paris.

The “Odalisque sur la Terrasse” was not the only Matisse painting recovered recently. Eight illustrations by the French artist that were stolen from a library in São Paulo, Brazil, last year were recovered on Thursday.

The works, with an estimated value of about $200,000, were found in a home in the town of São Bernardo do Campo, a suburb of the city, CBS News partner BBC News reported. They were stolen from the Biblioteca Mario de Andrade in December 2025. Four people have been arrested in connection with the crime.

The eight prints recovered are named “Le Clown,” “Le Cirque,” “Monsieur Loyal,” “Cauchemar de L’Eléphant Blanc,” “Le Codomas,” “La Nageuse Dans L’Aquarium,” “L’Avaleur de Sabres” and “Le Cowboy.” They were made for an art book named “Jazz.”

A total of 13 pieces of art and historical items were stolen from the library. Five works by Brazilian artist Cândido Portinari are still missing.