Among the stolen artworks were Renoir's "Fish," Cézanne's "Still Life with Cherries," and Matisse's "Odalisque on the Terrace."
According to local police, four criminals were involved in the robbery, who, wearing masks, broke the entrance door, entered one of the halls, and escaped with the paintings, taking advantage of the museum and its garden.
The entire process lasted less than three minutes and, according to law enforcement, was carefully planned.
According to Italian media reports, the robbers were likely scared off by an alarm that went off, which is why they left the fourth painting they intended to take.
Currently, law enforcement is analyzing footage from both the museum's surveillance cameras and those of neighboring buildings.
The Maniani-Rocca Foundation, established in 1977, is located 20 kilometers from Parma and houses a collection gathered by art historian Luigi Maniani, including works by masters such as Dürer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya, and Monet.
This robbery is yet another episode in a series of crimes related to art.
In October of last year, criminals, acting in broad daylight, stole jewelry worth 100 million dollars from the Louvre.
The robbery took the criminals less than eight minutes, and, as the investigation established, they acted according to a well-developed plan.
According to information from the authorities, eight items were stolen — tiaras, necklaces, earrings, and brooches dating back to the 19th century and once belonging to the families of French monarchs.
Several suspects were detained; however, the whereabouts of the stolen items remain unknown.
