Tragedy in Verona: Masked Thieves Target Gallery
In what has been described as Italy’s largest art theft, 17 paintings have been stolen from an Italian Museum. Masterpieces by Rubens and Tintoretto were stolen from Verona’s Castelvecchio museum in a daring evening raid.
The thieves entered the building as it was being closed up, tying up the on-duty guard and cashier before taking the paintings. They then escaped in the guard’s car. Their haul included Portrait of a Lady by Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens and Male Portrait by Venetian artist Tintoretto, as well as works by Pisanello, Jacopo Bellini, Giovanni Francesco Caroto and Hans de Jode.
It is estimated that the works were worth €15m (£10.5m), and it is thought likely that they were stolen to order.
“This is another illustration of the vulnerabilities of public museums” said Peter Rogers, CEO of Sentinor.
“The fact that the robbery happened before the alarms had been switched on for the night just shows how important it is to have 24/7 covert measures in place,” Peter continued.
Sentinor have a range of covert intruder detection technologies in a large number of public properties in the UK, along with providing the crucial communications through Sentinor’s Legacy platform.
“This is awful for the staff involved, disappointing for the city of Verona and a terrible shame for the art world” concluded Peter.
