17 stolen paintings from Castelvecchio Museum recovered in Ukraine

The 17 paintings stolen from Verona's Museo di Castelvecchio on November 19 have been recovered in Ukraine. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini announced the recovery, thanking the Carabinieri Tutela Patrimonio Culturale, the Polizia di Stato, and Ukrainian authorities. The stolen works included pieces by Pisanello, Jacopo Bellini, Giovanni Caroto, Andrea Mantegna, Jacopo Tintoretto, and Peter Paul Rubens. In March, 12 people were arrested—10 of Moldovan origin and two Italians, including a security guard on duty the night of the theft. The paintings were found on May 6 in the Odessa region, hidden in thick plastic bags among dense bushes on Turunciuk Island in the Dniester River. They had been moved from Moldova to evade investigators after the arrests. Authenticity has been confirmed by experts. Former museum director Paola Marini, now at the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, had expressed concern the previous week. Franceschini assured the works will soon return to Castelvecchio.