Andria Cathedral Protects Relics with Milestone and Sony Video Surveillance

Milestone Systems open platform IP video management software (VMS) is being used with Sony network cameras by the Andria Cathedral in Italy for security surveillance and to display religious services to congregations sitting in the chapel and side naves to the central church.

  • Oct 25, 2012

The Cathedral of Andria rests in the Puglia Region of Southern Italy, an artistic and historic treasure for which a video surveillance system was requested. Dating from the 12th century, the cathedral contains a famed precious relic, and holds the tombs of two wives of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, a 13th century icon of the Madonna, and a 15th century bust of Francesco II del Balzo, Duke of Andria.

Given the importance of the building and its historical treasures, church authorities commissioned a special technologically advanced surveillance system for the main goal of monitoring the premises during night conditions. Side benefits were quickly found for faithful visitors of the services.

The Andria Cathedral has been equipped with 32 Sony video cameras, fixed and Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) models, both High Definition (HD) and full HD. Thanks to special infra-red LEDs, the cameras achieve night vision even in pitch darkness.

The video from all of the cameras is archived in Milestone XProtect video management software (VMS) and viewed live through the XProtect Smart Client interface. In addition to serving as daytime and night-time security video, the system allows church-goers in the lateral naves to see the religious functions held in the presbytery and side chapel, displaying the live images of the services to the adjacent areas.

The images are relayed to six 40" screens attached to the central columns of the cathedral, which can also be video-projected in a large adjoining chapel. The system can furthermore be used to show DVDs, audio/video guides, cultural and tourist presentations - a benefit that is much appreciated by visitors.

Operating in sites of major historic and cultural significance is especially satisfying, all the more so in cases like this where the religious dimension is deeply important," explains Alfredo Donadei, Senior Channel Account Manager, Video Security, Sony Europe. The solution has been designed and installed in the cathedral by Tecnoimpianti Pizzolorusso, with whom we have a long-standing collaboration. The system stores all the video surveillance data in a special server, managed by Milestone XProtect Professional software. For even greater security and data management, the server has been equipped with 4 hard discs of various capacities, configured in RAID modality.

The church authorities are extremely satisfied, not only with the security performance of the system, but also with the extraordinary quality of the images transmitted, says both Gianluca and Francesco Pizzolorusso, owners of Tecnoimpianti Pizzolorusso Srl. Sony is a worldwide benchmark performer in the field of video surveillance, and we chose the cameras for their outstanding image quality, unobtrusive equipment and unbeatable price-quality ratio.

Featured

  • AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

    Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Motorola Solutions Named Official Safety Technology Supplier of the Ryder Cup through 2027

    Motorola Solutions has today been named the Official Safety Technology Supplier of the 2025 and 2027 Ryder Cup, professional golf’s renowned biennial team competition between the United States and Europe. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.