PARMA, Italy: Museums in France and Italy are strengthening security after a series of art thefts, including a €9 million raid near Parma. Specialists warn, however, that smaller institutions face limited resources.
Three works by Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse stolen from the Fondazione Magnani Rocca have since been recovered and returned. But the raid remains an example of how quickly valuable collections can be removed.
Thieves entered the museum during the night of March 22–23 and took the artworks in about three minutes. An accomplice used a fire extinguisher to distract the custodian when the alarm sounded.
Italian authorities recovered the works on August 14 and formally returned them on September 2, following an investigation in which five people were arrested.
Elsewhere, France’s Culture Ministry announced a 33-point security plan in July. This plan is backed by €30 million over three years for local museums. A ministry survey conducted in 2024 found that only one in four cultural institutions had an emergency and risk-prevention plan. Nearly half lacked video surveillance.
Europol warned in August that cultural-property thefts were becoming more forceful. Criminals are now targeting precious metals, gemstones and other valuable artefacts.
Barcelona-based cultural-heritage crime researcher Marc Balcells linked concerns about smaller institutions to the Louvre robbery in Paris in 2025. He argued that the vulnerability of such a prominent museum could encourage criminals to consider less-protected collections.
In Sansepolcro, Tuscany, local officials acted on recommendations from the Carabinieri’s cultural heritage protection unit after the Louvre theft.
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Culture councillor Francesca Mercati described installing more cameras, retaining closed-circuit television footage for longer and tightening checks on bags and bulky clothing. The town’s civic museum holds four works by locally born Renaissance artist Piero della Francesca.
However, equipment alone cannot secure a collection, according to Antonella Pinna, president of the Italian committee of the International Council of Museums.
“If an alarm goes off, someone has to make sure it is checked,” she said.
Italy has more than 4,400 museums and similar institutions, according to the national statistics agency ISTAT. Protecting collections dispersed across towns and smaller communities creates financial and staffing demands. Paris-based security consultant Florence Imbert estimated that local authorities with limited resources operate 85% of small French museums.
Insurance specialists are also reassessing the threat. Howden Speciality’s Filippo Guerrini-Maraldi described theft as a growing concern. Meanwhile, Beazley fine art underwriter Dishni Mahendran outlined work exploring artificial intelligence to flag suspicious behaviour in museum surveillance footage.
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Pinna cautioned that recognisable paintings are difficult to sell openly. Stolen works may instead be concealed, offered privately or used in attempted ransom negotiations. That differs from jewellery and precious metals, which criminals can dismantle or melt down.
Imbert stressed that tighter protection must preserve public access. Belgium’s Africa Museum conservator Julien Volper suggested limiting the display of particularly vulnerable objects to periods when adequate security is available.
At the Magnani Rocca museum, director Stefano Roffi described public support following the recovery. A local cheese consortium now funds round-the-clock guards.
(With additional input from Reuters and Rai News)
