Works by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse stolen from museum in Italy

Milan. Paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse were stolen from a museum in Italy a week ago, police reported yesterday.

Four hooded men entered the villa of the Magnani Rocca Foundation, near Parma, in northern Italy, and took away the works during the early hours of last Monday, a Carabinieri spokesman told AFP, confirming information broadcast by the Rai television network.

The thieves took The fish (1917), a work by Auguste Renoir; Still life with cherries (1885-1887), by Paul Cézanne, including Odalisque on a terrace (1922), by Henri Matisse.

The criminals forced a door to access a room on the first floor of the building and then escaped through the museum park.

Police are reviewing video surveillance footage from the museum and neighboring businesses, the spokesperson said.

The Magnani Rocca Foundation houses the collection of art historian Luigi Magnani (1906-1984), which also includes works by Dürer, Rubens, Van Dyck and Goya.