It was the perfect Christmas present for art lovers who thought the paintings had been lost for ever after they were stolen – and in particular the Italian art museum which has now got them back.<br /><br /> Seventeen masterpieces – including works by Rubens, Mantegna and Tintoretto and valued at 17 million euros – were carefully wrapped up in Kyiv.<br /><br /> Ukraine’s President Poroshenko then formally handed them over to Italian officials. His country’s border guards retrieved the pictures on a small island on the Dniester River during an attempt to smuggle them into Moldova. <br /><br /> Investigators in Ukraine have reportedly suggested that they were heading to a private collector in Russia – and that the gang involved members from Russia, Moldova and Ukraine. <br /><br /> We are thankful to the Government of Italy for the opportunity to show art masterpieces at Ukraine’s Khanenko Art Museum pic.twitter.com/C0MKABc9iZ— The Bankova (@TheBankova) December 21, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> The art workers are now back in Verona – no longer in their original frames but with little more than scratches, according to one expert.<br /><br /> Italy is now planning a new law to combat the theft of the country’s heritage.<br /><br /> “There will be different types of crimes relating to the destruction and damage of cultural heritage. Then there will be a new stand-alone crime of the theft of cultural property – with very severe punishments,” said Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini.<br /><br /> Ukraine conveyed 17 paintings of Italian artists saved by Ukrainian law enforcers and border guards to Italy https://t.co/jdMGjU7jYK— Dario Franceschini (@dariofrance) December 21, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> Several people have been convicted in Italy since the paintings were stolen from the Castelvecchio Museum in November 2015.<br /><br /> They include a guard at the museum – sentenced to over 10 years in jail for armed robbery – and his twin brother. Their operation to steal the paintings involved a simulated attack on the museum.<br /><br /> Stolen paintings by Tintoretto, Mantegna and Rubens head back to Verona https://t.co/XPz2qgKuus pic.twitter.com/XrY1K12ZOp— The Art Newspaper (@TheArtNewspaper) December 22, 2016<br />
