An anchor for systems for protection against falling masses, comprising: - an anchoring cable designed for making an anchoring loop with at least one portion of it; - at least a containment collar wrapped transversally to said anchoring cable in a position adjacent to said anchoring loop; - a mechanical protection element designed to be positioned between said anchoring cable and external fixing means in such a way as to evenly distribute the stresses between said fixing means and said cable when the anchor is being used, in an operating condition; the mechanical protection element being made of a metallic material; characterised in that said mechanical protection element is an annular element comprising: - a housing portion formed by an annular groove positioned along a perimetric surface of said annular element, said annular groove being designed to at least partly accommodate said portion of said anchoring cable, - a constraining portion comprising a through hole designed to accommodate said external fixing means, said annular element being axially symmetric relative to an axis of symmetry ("X"), said constraining portion and said housing portion being centred and symmetrical relative to said axis of symmetry ("X"), - a flat surface portion extending about the axis of symmetry ("X") to form said through hole; - two lateral surfaces located at the sides of the surface portion and respective connecting surfaces wherein each connecting surface is positioned between the flat surface portion and a respective lateral surfaces to create a unique and continuous connection between the surface portion and the lateral surface; said connecting surfaces being continuous curves and not corners or sharp edges. - an anchoring cable designed for making an anchoring loop with at least one portion of it; - at least a containment collar wrapped transversally to said anchoring cable in a position adjacent to said anchoring loop; - a mechanical protection element designed to be positioned between said anchoring cable and external fixing means in such a way as to evenly distribute the stresses between said fixing means and said cable when the anchor is being used, in an operating condition; the mechanical protection element being made of a metallic material; characterised in that said mechanical protection element is an annular element comprising: - a housing portion formed by an annular groove positioned along a perimetric surface of said annular element, said annular groove being designed to at least partly accommodate said portion of said anchoring cable, - a constraining portion comprising a through hole designed to accommodate said external fixing means, said annular element being axially symmetric relative to an axis of symmetry ("X"), said constraining portion and said housing portion being centred and symmetrical relative to said axis of symmetry ("X"), - a flat surface portion extending about the axis of symmetry ("X") to form said through hole; - two lateral surfaces located at the sides of the surface portion and respective connecting surfaces wherein each connecting surface is positioned between the flat surface portion and a respective lateral surfaces to create a unique and continuous connection between the surface portion and the lateral surface; said connecting surfaces being continuous curves and not corners or sharp edges.