Security journal editors from ten different countries were granted exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ access to security measures in place at The Vatican in Rome during an official trip organised by Panasonic System Solutions Europe.
Included as part of the tour were visits to the CCTV Control Rooms, which oversee The Vatican City and The Vatican Museum and make use of the most extensive Panasonic security system installed anywhere in the whole of Europe (including no less than 556 cameras comprising a mixture of exterior and interior dome and fixed units).
The tour was conducted as part of a European Press Event held in Rome, and encompassed St Peter’s Basilica and The Sistine Chapel. Editors in attendance included Brian Sims from Security Management Today, Alan Hyder (Editor of Security Installer) and info4security‘s Editor Emily Cadman.
The Vatican first had a small number of CCTV cameras installed way back in 1973. The current set-up, operated by the Gendarmerie, runs on a dedicated fibre optic network that uses more than 30 screens to monitor the entire Vatican site. Linked by three-way radio, officers on site are primarily tasked with focusing on crowd control at the location, which is visited by an astounding 40,000 people every day.
In The Vatican Museum Control Room, 70 screens watch over visitors wanting to see the priceless works of art on display. CCTV operators are able to follow visitors from room to room. Images are recorded on 20 Panasonic HD500 recorders, while advanced video analytics are also employed to alert monitoring staff to any unusual movements or events.
The Vatican City State holds the disctinction of having the smallest and oldest regular army in the world – the Pontifical Swiss Guard. The Guard boasts around 150 members, with recruitment arranged by a special agreement that restricts membership solely to Catholic male (Swiss) citizens – amply demonstrating the intensity of the City’s security.
Editors present also heard a presentation from Rob Healey (Panasonic’s European head of marketing) concerning the company’s future plans.
