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Nice museum paintings found after theft
French police have recovered four paintings, including a Monet, that were stolen by masked gunmen in August from a museum in Nice on the French Riviera.
The paintings were snatched from the Museum of Fine Arts in Nice. They were found in a utility vehicle parked in the city of Marseille and 10 people have been held for questioning after raids in both cities.
The paintings were taken on Aug 5 by the gunmen when the museum was open to visitors. The stolen paintings were by Monet, Alfred Sisley and the Flemish master Jan Brueghel the Elder.
It is not the first time that paintings by Monet and Sisley have been snatched. In 1998, a museum curator staged a theft in which masked, armed men took him "hostage".
He later confessed to helping in the crime and the paintings were found in a boat docked in Nice harbour.
This article was written for TravelSavvy Europe by Nancy Keane. For more information see: Nice - Museums. If you know of an interesting European travel related news story, please get in contact.
