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Italy anti-Mafia police recover stolen Van Gogh paintings

"Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen" was painted by Vincent Van Gog in 1884 and 1885.

“Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church in Nuenen” was painted by Vincent Van Gog in 1884 and 1885.


Two Vincent Van Gogh paintings have been recovered by police in Italy 14 years after being stolen, officials said Friday.

Police in Naples said the works — described as being of “priceless value” — were discovered during a crackdown targeting the Naples-based Camorra crime clan, The Associated Press reported.

They were taken from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in 2002 and “appear to be in relatively good condition,” according to a news release announcing the discovery.

They were recovered during an investigation by a specialized team within the Italian Public Prosecutions Department, the museum said.

''View of the Sea at Scheveningen," which was painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1882.

”View of the Sea at Scheveningen,” which was painted by Vincent van Gogh in 1882.

It was not immediately clear when they would be returned to the Netherlands.

“The criminal case, in which the paintings will be presented as burdens of proof, is still to be held because the investigation is not yet fully completed,” the release said.

Axel Rüger, director of the Van Gogh Museum, thanked Italian authorities.

“The paintings have been found! That I would be able to ever pronounce these words is something I had no longer dared to hope for,” he said in the release.

Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands in 1853 and died in France in 1890.

NBC NEWS

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