Fort Knox

Fort Knox

I don’t know if the Italians all horde gold in their apartments but you might think so from the doors to the apartments.  And keep in mind, within the cities everyone lives in apartments.  Some apartments like ours have one lock and one key, others like our office (which is in a residential building – our office having been converted from a residence) have two locks and with two different keys. 

The keys have a unique inner pattern not a cut edge like in the states.  Adding to the Fort Knox imagery, you cannot quickly insert the key into the lock.  There is a movable outer ring that does not align with the key.  You have to insert the key an eighth of an inch and turn it up to 180 degrees till you get the right alignment to insert the key into the lock.  You then have to turn the key 720 degrees for each lock.  At our apartment, the one lock turns 4 different dead bolts.  The two office locks in total turn 9 deadbolts one of which is on top of the door. 

The knob on the outer side of the door does not turn and strangely enough, the knob is on the middle of the door.  Because there is no knob to turn, even if the deadbolts have not been turned, you cannot leave your apartment unlocked and re-enter.  The metal door jamb edge of the doors has bullet shaped protrusions that align with holes in the metal door jamb.  The doors are made of wood and metal; they are thick and heavy.  I am guessing that the doors weigh in the neighborhood of 500 pounds.  To access the gold from the balcony the burglar would have to first unlock a metal bar door – thick bars like a jail cell - and a locking french door.  The metal door has a 1080 degree lock.  

With such doors, your gold is kept secure. 

Office Door 

Open Office Door

Door Jamb

Side View of Door

Gate to Balcony