Rome — Thieves stole three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions of euros from a museum near the northern Italian city of Parma, police said Monday.
Police said the robbery took place on the night of March 22-23, in which the thieves forced open the entrance.
The three paintings stolen are Auguste Renoir’s “Fishes”, Paul Cézanne’s “Still Life with Cherries”, and Henri Matisse’s “Odalisque on the Terrace”.
The Magnani Rocca Foundation, a private museum, is located in the countryside 20 kilometers (12 mi) from Parma.
Local media reported that the thieves took the paintings in less than three minutes and fled into the museum’s 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.
According to local media reports, the museum believes a structured and organized gang was responsible for the theft, which was disrupted by the alarm.
The museum did not post a statement about the theft on its website and could not be reached for comment because it is closed on Monday.
The crime follows a series of high-profile robberies at major European museums, including a theft in October french crown jewel and other objects worth 88 million euros ($101 million) from the Louvre in Paris.
Italian art expert Claudio Strinati said the three stolen paintings were small works by three masters.
“For example, Renoir’s painting is very beautiful, but, in terms of the foundation as a whole, it is not among the most important works,” he told The Associated Press.
Strinati also said that a ransom request may be made after a robbery.
“Art theft may actually be done for the purpose of extortion,” he said.
