1900 Eugenio Praga Violin Stolen in Northern Italy

The instrument was taken from a train carriage on March 5, 2025

An Italian violin by the luthier Eugenio Praga, dating from 1900, has been reported stolen — with the theft occurring on a train carriage in northern Italy.

The train was traveling from Verona to Bolzano on Thursday, March 5, 2025, with the violin going missing at approximately 5:30 PM. The most likely scenario is that the thief left the train at Ora station.

The instrument is based on the violin famously played by Paganini, the Guarneri del Gesù "Il Cannone" violin of 1743. It has a label bearing Praga's name and was kept in a blue plastic case with a silver-mounted bow by Louis Bazin.

The instrument's owner noted that the violin features in several books and is well publicized, presumably making it very difficult for the thief to sell the instrument to anyone with expert knowledge.

Anyone with any information regarding the theft is encouraged to come forward, and the Italian police have been notified of the incident. Images can be found below: