MILAN \u2014 Italian authorities recovered three artworks by Renoir, C\u00e9zanne 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.<\/p>\n
A statement from the Italian Carabinieri’s art recovery squad said the artworks were discovered during searches ordered by prosecutors, but no details were given. The investigation is ongoing.<\/p>\n
The three recovered artworks are “Fish,” a painting by Auguste Renoir, “Still Life with Cherries,” a pencil and watercolor by Paul C\u00e9zanne, and “Odalisque on the Terrace,” a color aquatint by Henri Matisse. Authorities said the C\u00e9zanne was valued at $7 million, the Renoir at $3.5 million, and the Matisse at $23,000.<\/p>\n
The heist at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, about 12 miles from Parma, took place on the night of March 22-23, with thieves forcing open the entrance door, police said.<\/p>\n
Local media reported that the thieves took the paintings in less than three minutes and escaped across the museum gardens.<\/p>\n
Established in 1977, the foundation hosts the collection of art historian Luigi Magnani and includes works by D\u00fcrer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya and Monet.<\/p>\n
The museum believes a structured and organized gang was responsible for the theft, which the alarm interrupted, local media reported.<\/p>\n