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Stolen Van Gogh paintings found in Italy Stolen Van Gogh paintings found in Italy
(35 minutes later)
Italian police have recovered two famous Van Gogh paintings stolen from an Amsterdam museum in 2002, officials say. Italian police have recovered two Van Gogh paintings stolen during a dramatic raid on an Amsterdam museum in 2002.
The Van Gogh museum in the city said the works were recovered during a "massive, continuing investigation" by Italian prosecutors and organised crime officials. The works were recovered from the Naples mafia, they said.
The paintings were taken when thieves used a ladder to break into the museum. The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam said the works were found during a "massive, continuing investigation" by Italian prosecutors and organised crime officials.
Italian police said the works were recovered from the Naples mafia. The paintings were taken when thieves used a ladder and sledgehammers to break into the museum.
They were among assets worth millions of euros seized from the Camorra group, reports said. They were among assets worth millions of euros seized from the Camorra group, Italian reports said.
The theft of the two works, described as priceless, led to criticism of security at the world's major art museums. Neither work was insured at the time, and both were on loan to the Van Gogh museum from the Dutch government. The theft of the two works, described as priceless, led to criticism of security at the world's major art museums.
The thieves broke into the museum through the roof during the night of 6-7 December 2002 and used sledgehammers to break a first-floor window.
They took the paintings off the walls of the main exhibition hall. Experts were baffled at the time of the theft because guards had been on patrol and infra-red security systems were in place.
Neither work was insured at the time, and both were on loan to the Van Gogh museum from the Dutch government. Two Dutch citizens were jailed for theft but always maintained their innocence.
The museum said it was so far unclear when the works would be returned to Amsterdam but in a statement it said they appeared to be in "relatively good condition".The museum said it was so far unclear when the works would be returned to Amsterdam but in a statement it said they appeared to be in "relatively good condition".
Why are the paintings significant?
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is widely considered the greatest Dutch artist after Rembrandt.
Seascape at Scheveningen was one of only two seascapes he painted while he lived in the Netherlands.
It shows a foaming, stormy sea and thundery sky, and was painted in 1882 while he was staying in The Hague.
Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church at Nuenen (1884) was painted for Van Gogh's mother, but also partly for his father, who had become a pastor at the church in 1882. When his father died in 1884, Van Gogh added churchgoers including a few women wearing shawls used for mourning.
Van Gogh committed suicide in France in 1890.