These high-tech vaults are home to the world’s best Parmesan. In Italy's Emilia-Romagna region producers rent the ‘cheese bank’ to protect their treasure from thieves and age it in climate-controlled safes armed with alarms, infrared cameras, and anti-seismic equipment.

The region in Northern Italy is the only one in the world that can legally use the Parmigiano-Reggiano name. Not surprisingly, the hard, dry-aged cheese made from skimmed milk, is a lucrative local commodity.