Palazzo robbed of $1.9m treasures

Burglars stole €1 million ($1.9 million) worth of paintings, antique furniture and other treasures from a canal-side palace in Venice, then likely escaped by boat, police say.

The burglars also took porcelain, jewellery and antique glass during the break-in at Palazzo Loredan, on the Grand Canal.

The theft, which resembled a movie robbery in the recent remake of The Italian Job, occurred while the palace's owners were away over the Christmas holidays.

Investigators believe the burglars may have piled the bulky loot into a boat before escaping down the city's main canal.