Another theft of musical instruments has struck a music conservatory. This time, the target was the “Campiani” Conservatory in Mantua, from which five violins have been stolen. Some are of considerable craftsmanship, including one particularly valuable instrument made by the renowned Klotz family of luthiers. The instruments were kept in a display cabinet in the office of the Conservatory’s director, Gabriele Cosmi.

The extent of the financial loss is still being assessed, while investigations by the authorities are ongoing.

The break-in took place between last Saturday and Sunday, when the thieves gained access to the Conservatory through a rear entrance in a construction area where work is currently underway on a new, large-scale auditorium.

Using burglary tools, the perpetrators forced open a window in the administrative office. Once inside, they proceeded to the director’s adjoining office, where they took the musical instruments.

The thieves also broke into the Conservatory’s safe, using an angle grinder found at the construction site. However, they found no cash inside, only documents.

The theft of the five violins was discovered on Monday morning by Conservatory staff, who found a sixth violin lying abandoned in the courtyard, apparently dropped by the thieves as they made their escape.

The Conservatory’s management has already provided investigators with photographs of the stolen instruments. Some of them had been donated to the institution, including a violin given to the Conservatory by the widow of the renowned musician Franco Claudio Ferrari (Alexandria, 7 April 1918 – Verona, 24 January 1995).