Paintings by Renoir, Cézanne and Matisse worth millions were stolen in a heist near the Italian city of Parma, police say.
Four masked men entered the Magnani Rocca Foundation villa on March 22, making off with 'Les Poissons' by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 'Still Life with Cherries' by Paul Cézanne and 'Odalisque on the Terrace' by Henri Matisse.
The gang was in and out in the space of three minutes, Italian media outlets report, and were only interrupted by the museum's alarm system, which prevented them from stealing more.
This incident marks the latest in a series of brazen thefts, following the daylight robbery of priceless jewels from the Louvre in Paris last October.
The thieves forced their way through the main door to the Villa dei Capolavori, located in the Parma countryside, nabbing the paintings from the French Room on the first floor.
The foundation noted that the gang appeared structured and organized, and seemed to have intended to steal more had the alarm not gone off and police not been alerted.
They escaped by climbing over a fence, according to TGR, the regional public broadcaster which reported the theft first.
It is estimated that the stolen paintings have a combined worth of €9 million (£7.8 million), with 'Les Poissons' alone valued at €6 million—marking one of the most significant art thefts in Italy in recent years.
This piece by Renoir was completed around 1917 and is a significant representation of the Impressionist movement.
Cézanne's work, completed around 1890, is notable for its use of watercolors, while Matisse's 'Odalisque on the Terrace,' painted in 1922, depicts two figures under the sun.
The investigation into the theft is being led by Italy's Carabinieri and the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit based in Bologna. The incident wasn't made public until Sunday.
The Magnani Rocca Foundation was founded following the death of Luigi Magnani, a composer and art collector, in 1984 in his family home.
