Swiss Guards | History, Vatican, Uniform, Requirements, Weapons, & Facts (2024)

Swiss Guards, corps of Swiss soldiers responsible for the safety of the pope. Often called “the world’s smallest army,” they serve as personal escorts to the pontiff, including on his apostolic travels, and as watchmen for Vatican City and the pontifical villa of Castel Gandolfo. They also protect the Sacred College of Cardinals when there is no pope, during sede vacant (“empty seat”), such as the interim between a pope’s death and the election of his successor.

The Swiss Guards are sometimes referred to as the Vatican City police, but a separately administered police force is charged with the overall security of the nation-state (except St. Peter’s Square, which is under the jurisdiction of the Italian police). See also Pontifical Gendarmerie.

Requirements

The guards, who are independent of the Swiss armed forces, are employed by the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope, to whom they swear fealty in a ceremony at Belvedere Court, a vast courtyard of the Vatican Palace. The swearing-in ceremony is held on May 6, which commemorates the day on which 147 guards died defending Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome in 1527.

As is common with any elite military corps, competition is intense for inclusion in the Swiss Guards. New recruits must be unmarried Roman Catholic males with Swiss citizenship, between 19 and 30 years of age, and at least 5 feet 8.5 inches (1.74 meters) tall. In addition, they must have a professional diploma or high school degree and must complete basic training with the Swiss military. (Historically, new recruits also had to prove they were free of physical deformities, and commanding officers were traditionally of noble lineage.) After five years of service, they may marry, as long as they are age 25 or older. Those who marry must commit to an additional three years of service.

Uniforms and weaponry

The guards normally wear blue doublets and blue berets, but on ceremonial occasions they don the colorful Renaissance-era uniforms for which they are famous. They are among the oldest uniforms in continuous use, though contrary to legend, Michelangelo did not design them. In fact, the design is largely the work of Jules Repond, who served as commander of the guard between 1910–21. The tunics are striped in the colors of the Medici family: red, dark blue, and yellow. White ruffs and high plumed helmets (with ostrich feathers colored to reflect different ranks) are also worn, as, on occasion, is armor. While in traditional dress, the guards carry halberds and swords, but they are also trained in the use of modern weaponry and counterterrorism techniques.

Life in the Swiss Guards

The living quarters of the Swiss Guards are at the eastern edge of the city, north of St. Peter’s Square and beside the Vatican Palace. The guards work on average six hours per day, but some days require up to 12 hours of service. Their chapel is that of Saints Martino and Sebastiano, and the Campo Santo Teutonico, near St. Peter’s Basilica, is designated their cemetery.

History and ranks

Swiss mercenaries were long renowned as the best soldiers in the world—the ancient Roman scholar Tacitus stated, “The Helvetians are a people of warriors, famous for the valour of their soldiers”—and they served the ruling powers of many European countries; they were in particularly high demand in France and Spain. The guardsmen began serving the Papal States in the late 14th and 15th centuries. In 1505 the Swiss bishop (later cardinal) Matthäus Schiner, acting on behalf of Pope Julius II, proposed the creation of a permanent Swiss contingent that would operate under the direct control of the pope. On January 22, 1506, the first contingent of 150 Swiss guardsmen, led by Capt. Kaspar von Silenen, arrived at the Vatican.

They soon earned a reputation for self-sacrifice and bravery, as demonstrated during the Sack of Rome in 1527, when all but 42 of the 189 guardsmen died defending Pope Clement VII. The Swiss Guards prepared for similar self-sacrifice during World War II, when the vastly outnumbered guardsmen took up defensive positions as German forces rolled into Rome; Adolf Hitler, however, chose not to attack the Vatican.

The unit was reorganized in 1914 to consist of a commandant (with the rank of colonel), 5 other ranking officers, 15 lesser officers, a chaplain, and 110 halberdiers. Further reorganizations were made in 1959 and 1976, and in 1979 their number was fixed at 100 (a commandant, 3 other high officers, a chaplain, 23 lesser officers, 2 drummers, and 70 halberdiers). In 1998 the number of guards was increased to 110, and in 2018 it was raised to 135 in response to a series of terrorist attacks throughout Europe and in anticipation of the jubilee year of 2019.

In 1981 Swiss Guards helped protect John Paul II during an assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square. In fact, the plainclothes guardsman who rushed to the pope’s aid became a hero and was named commandant of the Swiss Guards in 1998. Within hours of his promotion, however, he and his wife were shot and killed by a disgruntled lower-ranking guard, who then killed himself; these were the first murders known to have taken place in Vatican City since the mid-19th century.