Who are the Swiss Guards at the Vatican who protect the Pope?
On January 22nd each year, in the world’s smallest state, Vatican City, the oldest army safeguarding the Pope commemorates its founding. It is easy to spot them when visiting St. Peter’s Church in Vatican City, Rome, but the little stories that shaped the Swiss Guard are not always known.
How did it all begin?
On January 22, 1506, the Swiss Guard of the Vatican officially entered the jurisdiction of the Holy See in Rome for the first time. Pope Julius II welcomed 150 mercenaries led by their commander Kaspar von Silenen to protect him and his territories from dangers that lurked during that period.
The origins of the agreement date back several decades earlier, but the official entry of the guards in their colorful uniforms at the gates of St. Peter’s Basilica is considered the official day of the Swiss Guard’s establishment.
The Swiss mercenaries had a reputation in the 14th and 15th centuries for being excellent fighters, and they had served many royal courts and princes across Europe until then.
Today, it is pleasant to photograph the soldiers standing upright, almost motionless, by the stairs of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
However, these ‘pictures’ were not always pastoral…
The First Battles:
The dangers that threatened the papal territories in Rome, which led to the formation of the guard, indeed materialized.
In 1527 (only 20 years after they arrived), the papal soldiers faced their first major challenge (there were smaller challenges before). The troops of Charles V besieged the city of Rome and plundered it.
189 soldiers stood against the great threat. Most were killed. Only a small group of soldiers managed to escort Pope Clement VII through the Escape Corridor – the Passetto di Borgo – to the Castel Sant’Angelo and survived.
After the crisis and the devastation of the city, the pope decided to enlist Spanish soldiers and to join them with the 12 Swiss soldiers who had survived.
Was this a fleeting glory for the guard?
Not yet. In 1542, 150 Swiss soldiers were sent to be ‘only’ guards at the pope’s residence in Bologna.
In 1547, the son of Pope Julius III was assassinated, prompting him to restore his trust in the Swiss guard, and once again, in 1548, the guard soldiers stood ready to secure the Holy See in Rome.
However, in reality, these Swiss soldiers mostly continued to be bodyguards for the pope during his travels, room guards, and from the 20th century onward, the guardians of the Vatican. They were not the fighters of the Holy See in its wars.
Even during the war over Rome, in 1870, when soldiers from the newly unified Kingdom of Italy besieged the city to unite Rome with the rest of the country, the Swiss only guarded the pope in his rooms. Other soldiers fought in the famous battle of ‘Porta Pia’ to defend Rome.
Over time, the recruits of the guard were no longer original Swiss. Instead, they were descendants of Swiss families who had lived in Rome for years and had even adopted a Roman dialect.
The Great Reform:
From 1910 to 1921, under the command of General Jules Repond, a significant reform was made in the Swiss Guard, transforming it into what we see today.
The guardsmen returned to being Swiss by birth. Their number was defined as 100 (in addition to 6 commanders), and their prestige was restored through military training to enhance body and mind (a practice that had been neglected in the years prior). The uniforms were inspired by the attire of the 16th century (the Renaissance), and there is a legend that Michelangelo designed them, but the truth is that if we mention famous artists, it was actually Raphael who contributed the puffed sleeves, nothing more. The armor returned to the uniforms, along with a long spear and a cavalry sword.
Regarding these uniforms, Pope Benedict XVI said:
“Your historical uniforms speak to pilgrims and tourists from all around the world as something that remains unchanged despite everything. They convey your commitment to serving God through the service of His servants.”
The colors of the uniforms: blue, red, and yellow, are taken from the emblems of the families during the time the guard was established: blue and yellow from the House of della Rovere (Julius II) and red from the House of Medici (Clement VII).
To become a guard in the Swiss Guard, candidates must meet the following conditions:
- Belief in the Catholic faith
- Swiss citizenship
- A minimum height of 174 cm
- Aged between 19 and 30
- Willingness to serve for at least two years (up to 25 years)
On May 6 each year, in memory of the date when the guards were massacred in 1527 by the soldiers of Emperor Charles V, new soldiers take an oath read to them by a priest in German, their official language:
“I pledge allegiance to serve the Holy Pope in office, his legitimate successors, to dedicate all my strength on their behalf, and to sacrifice, if required, even my life for them. This commitment I will uphold before the Sacred College of Cardinals while the Holy See is vacant. I also commit to obey the orders of the commander and others in authority over me faithfully and obediently. I swear to always act in accordance with the honor of my position.”
The soldier responds while holding the guard’s flag in his left hand and raising his right hand:
“I, —– swear to comply faithfully with all that has just been read to me, as God and His saints assist me.”
(A paraphrased translation from German).
Following the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, it was decided to enhance the training of the guards, to establish a professional unit for personal protection armed with advanced weapons, and with the rise of international terrorism, from 2015, the connection between the Swiss Guard and Italian security organizations was strengthened.
