Professionals at work

Art theft worth millions on Lake Garda

The Vittoriale degli Italiani on Lake Garda was the scene of a spectacular art theft. All the works, jewelry and gold sculptures that made up the exhibition were stolen on Thursday night.(Bild: ALBERTO POLETTI ONDANOMALA, stock.adobe.com)

In the Vittoriale degli Italiani museum complex in Gardone Riviera on Lake Garda in Italy, all the works, jewelry and gold sculptures in an exhibition have been stolen. Early on Thursday morning, shocked employees found only empty display cases and showcases.

The museum pieces disappeared from an exhibition by sculptor and goldsmith Umberto Mastroianni (1910-1998), which had been on display since December 30 and was due to close today, Friday. It was housed in an underground part of the museum that once belonged to the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio and is now used for special exhibitions.

Thieves lost a piece of jewelry on the run
One of the stolen pieces of jewelry, which the thieves had probably lost on their escape, was found not far from the exhibition hall. The piece is now being examined for traces by a team of experts.

Alarm system active, not triggered
Investigators assume that this was a professional gang that planned the theft down to the last detail. The alarm system was active on the night of the theft, but was not triggered. Security forces inside and outside the building did not notice anything. A side door was broken open to get into the building.

Inside the museum, the thieves worked cleverly and opened the display cases containing jewelry and sculptures without destroying them. In the same room, works from the other goldsmith's house, Buccellati, were also on display but were not touched.