A three-minute heist has left Italian authorities scrambling after thieves made off with artworks worth millions from a museum near Parma, in what is being described as one of the country’s most significant art thefts in recent years.
Paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne and Henri Matisse were stolen from the Magnani Rocca Foundation villa on March 22, Italian police have said.
The raid saw four masked men storm the historic Villa dei Capolavori, overpowering its security in a matter of minutes before fleeing with three masterpieces from its prized French Room.
According to Italian media reports, the thieves spent no more than three minutes inside the building. Their plans were curtailed when the museum’s alarm system was triggered, forcing them to abandon what authorities believe was an attempt to steal additional works.
The stolen pieces include Renoir’s Les Poissons, valued at approximately €6 million (£5.2 million), alongside Cezanne’s Still Life with Cherries and Matisse’s Odalisque on the Terrace. Together, the paintings are estimated to be worth around €9 million (£7.8 million).
🔴 Œuvres volées :
— guz (@JordanRivire5) March 29, 2026
👉 Pierre-Auguste Renoir : Les Poissons (ou I pesci), peinture de 1917.
👉 Paul Cézanne : Natura morta con ciliegie (Still Life with Cherries / Nature morte aux cerises), aquarelle sur papier datant de 1890.
👉 Henri Matisse : Odalisca sulla terrazza… pic.twitter.com/cVTOwHjeFK
Investigators say the thieves forced entry through the villa’s main door before heading directly to the first floor, suggesting prior knowledge of the layout and collection. After seizing the artworks, the group reportedly escaped by scaling a perimeter fence, disappearing into the surrounding countryside before police arrived.
Each of the stolen works holds considerable artistic and historical value. Renoir’s Les Poissons, painted around 1917, reflects the Impressionist master’s later style. Cezanne’s Still Life with Cherries, created circa 1890, is notable for its use of watercolour, a medium he rarely employed until the final years of his life. Matisse’s 1922 painting Odalisque on the Terrace depicts two figures in a sunlit setting, exemplifying the artist’s exploration of colour and form.
The investigation is now being led by Italy’s Carabinieri, alongside the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Bologna, a specialist division tasked with combating art crime. Authorities have not yet made any arrests.
Founded in 1984 following the death of composer and collector Luigi Magnani, the Magnani Rocca Foundation houses an extensive collection of European art in his former family home. It described the perpetrators as “structured and organised”, adding that the speed and coordination of the attack indicated careful planning. Officials believe the alarm system prevented an even greater loss.
The theft has drawn comparisons to a series of high-profile art crimes across Europe, including last October’s robbery of priceless jewels from the Louvre in Paris.
Experts warn that such incidents highlight ongoing vulnerabilities in museum security, particularly at smaller institutions housing significant private collections.
