By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Vienna : An antique violin worth $400,000, made by Italian maestro Rogeri in 1697, was stolen from a hotel in Austria, police said Sunday.
The musical instrument was stolen Saturday afternoon from a hotel in Voesendorf near Vienna.
A woman violinist of the orchestra of Russia’s famous Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, left the violin in custody of her male colleague and went for shopping.
But the man was constantly distracted by searches on the internet and failed to notice the thief, the police said.
The hotel hall has no video cameras and was visited by a lot of people on that day, which makes the search for the thief difficult, the police said, adding that the violin was not insured.