Italian Technology Safeguards Millions of Visitors: Pilomat Bollards Secure St Peter's Square

The 2025 Jubilee represents not only an event of extraordinary religious significance for Rome, but also a global occasion that attracts pilgrims, worshippers and visitors from every continent. Over the twelve-month Holy Year, approximately 32 million visitors* are expected to travel to the Italian capital, adding to the city's already substantial tourist flows.

In such a context, security becomes an absolute priority and requires a coordinated approach, ranging from the extensive deployment of police and military personnel to major upgrades in the protection of public spaces.

Among the most significant measures implemented are the controlled access points to St Peter's Square, now protected by robust yet elegant Pilomat security bollards. Designed and manufactured in Grassobbio, near Bergamo, Pilomat has been developing, producing and supplying high-security perimeter protection systems worldwide for more than forty years and is now recognised as one of the leading manufacturers of automatic bollards.

Originally developed to protect sensitive sites such as government buildings, military bases and police headquarters against hostile vehicle attacks, security bollards have also proven highly effective in controlling vehicle access at strategically important locations. This is precisely their role in Rome, where the new controlled access points prevent unauthorised vehicles from entering the pedestrian area surrounding St Peter's Basilica.

Manufactured from satin-finished stainless steel, the Pilomat bollards installed around St Peter's Square combine exceptional impact resistance and efficient access control with a clean, understated design that integrates perfectly into this prestigious architectural and historical environment.

Pilomat supplied approximately 50 bollards, installed to protect the access points from Via Sant'Anna, Largo del Colonnato, Via della Conciliazione, Largo degli Alicorni and Piazza del Sant'Uffizio.

The installation includes anti-terrorism certified products rated K12 / M50, tested according to the most demanding international standards for hostile vehicle mitigation equipment through full-scale crash tests involving a 7.5-ton truck travelling at 80 km/h.

Several bollard configurations were installed, including automatic bollards protecting the main vehicle lanes and removable fixed bollards completing the perimeter along parking areas and pavements.

The project required considerable flexibility during installation.

Installing a conventional fixed bollard normally requires an excavation deeper than half a metre. However, the exact location of underground utilities beneath several access points could only be confirmed once construction work had begun.

Whenever deep foundations proved impossible, Pilomat replaced the originally specified removable bollards with its SF (Shallow Foundation) version, featuring the shallowest installation depth in the entire product range—just 200 mm.

The bollards are operated through traffic-light control columns and protected control cabinets housing the electrical control equipment.

Thanks to the outstanding performance of Pilomat security bollards—forming an extremely powerful barrier capable of stopping vehicles that could otherwise endanger countless lives—visitors can now experience one of the world's most famous public squares with the highest level of protection against hostile vehicle intrusion.

The vehicular access points surrounding St Peter's Square are protected by three different Pilomat bollard models, all specifically engineered for hostile vehicle mitigation.

Each model is capable of resisting an impact energy of 2,000,000 J, successfully stopping a 7.5-ton truck travelling at 80 km/h, and is certified according to the international standards PAS 68, IWA 14-1:2013 and ASTM F2656/F2656M-20.

275/K12 900A Automatic Bollards

The 275/K12 900A automatic bollard consists of a below-ground foundation unit securely anchored into the ground and a moving cylinder measuring 275 mm in diameter, 12 mm in wall thickness and 900 mm above ground when raised.

Its hydraulic operating system lowers the cylinder in 4 seconds and raises it again in 4 seconds, allowing authorised vehicles to pass before restoring full protection against unauthorised access.

Designed for intensive operation, the 275/K12 900A is capable of up to 2,000 operating cycles per day while maintaining maximum reliability in all weather conditions. For cold climates, an optional thermal protection system with transformer and thermostat is available.

275/K12RM 900 Removable Bollards

In the 275/K12RM 900 removable model, the foundation and cylinder form a single integrated unit offering the same level of protection as the automatic version.

Whenever required, the cylinder can be temporarily removed, for example to allow the passage of oversized vehicles or exceptional transport.

In some locations originally designated for removable fixed bollards, underground structures and utility networks prevented deep excavation. In these cases, the 275/K4SF-900RM model was selected. Its wider, low-profile foundation enables installation with minimal excavation while avoiding interference with existing underground infrastructure.

Regardless of the model, all bollard cylinders are manufactured from satin-finished stainless steel and feature reflective bands for enhanced visibility.

The automatic bollards are also equipped with multi-LED warning lights and an acoustic signalling device, providing improved visibility and enhanced pedestrian safety.

*Source: Unioncamere and ISNART