Benevento's brief experiment with orange anti-parking bollards in front of the Duomo lasted just over 24 hours. The devices, installed at the junction of Corso Garibaldi and Corso Vittorio Emanuele to curb irregular parking and improve traffic safety, were removed because their appearance was judged unsuitable for the historic setting of Piazza Duomo.
The explanation came from municipal assessor Cappa, who sought to downplay the episode: the bollards were functional, removal was completed within 24 hours, and the operation involved no cost to the Comune. "Non ingigantire vicenda" — do not blow up the matter — was his message on the controversy.
According to the municipality's account, the bollards were intended to enforce existing no-parking and no-stopping rules in the area in front of Benevento Cathedral. Cappa described them as technically functional devices of a type already used for similar purposes elsewhere in the city. The problem, he said, was aesthetic rather than technical: the orange posts did not fit a square of significant historical value.
The timeline was short. After installation in the open area connecting Corso Vittorio Emanuele III and Corso Garibaldi, the municipality ordered their removal pending checks on authorization. Ottopagine reported that the posts lasted slightly more than 24 hours before being taken away, with restoration of the site included in the no-cost operation.
The episode initially raised questions about whether the installation had the required authorization. The first municipal communication spoke of an installation without authorization and ordered removal. A later statement attributed to the Traffic and Signage Service cited authorization under provision no. 6/2026 dated 5 November 2026. The reports acquired so far do not independently resolve that discrepancy, and they do not establish whether any formal administrative or procurement review followed.
What happens next remains open. The municipality has said a different solution to prevent illegal parking in the Duomo area is under review, but no replacement measure had been announced in the reports available. For drivers making short stops, the confirmed context is that the first 15 minutes in nearby blue-line parking spaces are free.
The exact monetary value of the installation and removal work was not stated. "No cost" is the municipality's stated position for the installation, removal and restoration.
