The Swiss Guard is considered an elite military unit. It is highly selective in its recruitment: candidates must be unmarriedSwiss Catholic males between 19 and 30 years of age and at least 5 feet 8.5 inches (1.74 meters), who have completed basic training with theSwiss Armed Forces and hold a professional diploma or high school degree.[5][6] As of 2024, there were 135 members.[7]
The conclave ofPius V, with Swiss Guard guarding the entrance,Codex Maggi, 1578
The Pontifical Swiss Guard has its origins in the 15th century.Pope Sixtus IV (1471–1484) had allied with theSwiss Confederacy and built barracks in Via Pellegrino after foreseeing the possibility of recruitingSwiss mercenaries. The pact was renewed byPope Innocent VIII (1484–1492) in order to use Swiss troops against the Duke of Milan.Alexander VI (1492–1503) later used the Swiss mercenaries during his alliance with the King of France.
During the time of theBorgias, theItalian Wars began, in which the Swiss mercenaries were a fixture on the front lines among the warring factions, sometimes for France, and sometimes for the Holy See or theHoly Roman Empire. The mercenaries enlisted when they heard KingCharles VIII of France was going to war with Naples. Among the participants in the war against Naples was CardinalGiuliano della Rovere, the futurePope Julius II (1503–1513), who was well acquainted with the Swiss, having beenBishop of Lausanne years earlier.[citation needed]
The expedition failed, in part thanks to new alliances made byAlexander VI against the French. When Cardinal della Rovere became Pope Julius II in 1503, he asked theSwiss Diet to provide him with a constant corps of 200 Swiss mercenaries. This was made possible through financing by German merchants fromAugsburg, Ulrich, andJacob Fugger, who had invested in the Pope and saw fit to protect their investment.[8]
In September 1505, the first contingent of 150 soldiers departed on foot to Rome, under the command ofKaspar von Silenen. They entered the city on 22 January 1506, now regarded as the official date of the Guard's foundation.[9][10]
"The Swiss see the sad situation of the Church of God, Mother of Christianity, and realize how grave and dangerous it is that any tyrant, avid for wealth, can assault with impunity, the common Mother of Christianity," declared the Swiss theologianHuldrych Zwingli, who later became aProtestant reformer. Pope Julius II later granted the Guard the title "Defenders of the Church's freedom".[11]
The force has varied greatly in size over the years and on occasion has been disbanded and reconstituted.
Clement VII was forced to replace the depleted Swiss Guard with a contingent of 200 German mercenaries (Custodia Peditum Germanorum).[12]
In 1537,Pope Paul III ordered the Swiss Guard to be reinstated and sent CardinalEnnio Filonardi to oversee recruitment. Anti-papal sentiment in Switzerland hindered recruitment. In 1548, the papacy reached an agreement with the mayor of Lucerne, Nikolaus von Meggen, to swear-in 150 new Swiss Guardsmen under commander Jost von Meggen, the mayor's nephew.[12]
After theend of the Italian Wars, the Swiss Guard ceased to be used as a military combat unit in the service of the Pope and its role became mostly that of the protection of the person of the Pope and of anhonour guard.However, twelve members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard ofPius V served as part of theSwiss Guard of admiralMarcantonio Colonna at theBattle of Lepanto in 1571.[13]
The office of commander of the Papal Guard came to be a special honour in the Catholic region of theSwiss Confederacy. It became strongly associated with the leading family ofLucerne,Pfyffer von Altishofen, a family which between 1652 and 1847 provided nine out of ten of the commanders. The exception was Johann Kaspar Mayr von Baldegg, of Lucerne, who served 1696–1704.[14]
In 1798, commander Franz Alois Pfyffer von Altishofen went into exile with the deposedPius VI. After the death of the Pope on 29 August 1799, the Swiss Guard was disbanded and then reinstated byPius VII in 1800. In 1809, Rome was again captured by the French and the guard was again disbanded.[1] Pius VII was exiled to Fontainebleau. The guard was reinstated in 1814,[1] when the Pope returned from exile, under the previous commander Karl Leodegar Pfyffer von Altishofen.[citation needed]
Barracks of the Pontifical Swiss Guard inVatican City.
The guard was disbandedin 1848, whenPius IX fled toGaeta. In 1849, it was reinstated when the Pope returned to Rome.
After the Piedmontese invasion of Rome, the Swiss Guard declined in the later 19th century into a purely ceremonial body with low standards. Guards on duty at the Vatican were "Swiss" only in name, mostly born in Rome to parents of Swiss descent and speaking theRoman dialect. The guards were trained solely for ceremonial parade, kept only a few obsolete rifles in store and wore civilian dress when drilling or in barracks. Administration, accommodation, discipline and organization were neglected and the unit numbered only about 90 men out of an authorized establishment of 133.[15]
The modern Swiss Guard is the product of the reforms pursued byJules Repond, commander during the years 1910–1921. Repond proposed recruiting only native citizens of Switzerland, and he introduced rigorous military exercises. He attempted to introduce modern arms, but Pius X permitted the presence of firearms only if they were not functional. Repond's reforms and strict discipline were not well received by the corps, culminating in a week of open mutiny in July 1913, and the subsequent dismissal of thirteen ringleaders from the guard.[16]
In his project to restore the Swiss Guard to its former prestige, Repond dedicated himself to the study of historical costume, with the aim of designing a new uniform that would be both reflective of the historical Swiss costume of the 16th century and suited for military exercise. The result of his studies was published in 1917 asLe costume de la Garde suisse pontificale et la Renaissance italienne. Repond designed the distinctive Renaissance-style uniforms worn by the modern Swiss Guard. The introduction of the new uniforms was completed in May 1914.
In 1929, the foundation ofVatican City as a modern sovereign state was effected by theLateran Treaty, negotiated between theHoly See and Italy. The duties of protecting public order and security in the Vatican lay with thePapal Gendarmerie Corps, while the Swiss Guard, thePalatine Guard and theNoble Guard served mostly ceremonial functions.[17]
In 1970, the Palatine and Noble Guards were disbanded byPaul VI, leaving the Swiss Guard as the only ceremonial guard unit of the Vatican. At the same time, the Gendarmerie Corps was transformed into a central security office, with the duties of protecting the Pope, defending Vatican City, and providing police and security services within its territory, while the Swiss Guard continued to serve ceremonial functions only. In June 1976, Paul VI in a decree defined the nominal size of the corps at 90 men. In April 1979, this was increased to 100 men by John Paul II . As of 2010 the guard numbered 107 halberdiers, divided into three squads, with commissioned and non-commissioned officers.[17]
Since theassassination attempt on John Paul II of 13 May 1981, a much stronger emphasis has been placed on the guard's non-ceremonial roles.[18] The Swiss Guard has developed into a modern guard corps equipped with modern small arms. Members of the Swiss Guard in plain clothes now accompany the Pope on his travels abroad for his protection.
On 4 May 1998 commanderAlois Estermann wasmurdered on the day of his promotion. Estermann and his wife, Gladys Meza Romero, were killed by the young guardsman Cédric Tornay, who later committed suicide. The case received considerable public attention and became the subject of a number of conspiracy theories allegingCold War politics or involvement by theOpus Dei prelature. British journalist John Follain, who published a book on the case in 2006, concluded that the killer acted purely out of personal motives.[19]
In 2002, the first non-white Swiss Guard joined the militia.[20][21]
In April–May 2006, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Swiss Guard, 80 former guardsmen marched fromBellinzona in southern Switzerland to Rome, recalling the march of the original 200 Swiss guards to take up Papal service in 1505. The march had been preceded by other celebrations inLucerne, including a rally of veterans of the Guard and a Mass.[22] In a public ceremony on 6 May 2006, 33 new guards were sworn in on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, instead of the traditional venue in the San Damaso Courtyard. The date chosen marked the anniversary of theSack of Rome when the Swiss Guard was nearly destroyed. Present at this event were representatives of theCompany of Pikemen and Musketeers of theHonourable Artillery Company of London and theAncient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts.
In December 2014,Pope Francis directed thatDaniel Anrig's term as commander should end on 31 January 2015, and that he be succeeded by his deputyChristoph Graf. This followed reports about Anrig's "authoritarian style".[23]
In 2015, with the rise ofIslamic terrorism in Europe and open threats against the Vatican issued by theIslamic State (ISIS), Vatican officials collaborated with Italian authorities to improve the protection of Vatican City against attacks that cannot be reasonably defended against by the Swiss Guard and Vatican Gendarmerie, notably againstdrone attacks.[24]
In October 2019, the Swiss Guard was expanded to 135 men.[25][26] Previously, according to article 7 of the regulations,[which?] the Swiss Guard was made up of 110 men.
An oath ceremony in thePaul VI Audience Hall, 2013A group of Pontifical Swiss Guard inside St. Peter's Basilica, 2006.
Recruits to the guards must beCatholic, single males withSwiss citizenship who have completed high school at least,basic training with theSwiss Armed Forces, and of irreproachable reputation and health. Recruits must be between 19 and 30 years of age, at least 174 cm (5 ft 8.5 in) tall, and prepared to sign up for at least 26 months.[5][6] In 2009, Pontifical Swiss Guard commandantDaniel Anrig suggested that the Guard might be open to recruiting women far in the future.[27] Guards are permitted to marry after five years of service.[28]
Qualified candidates must apply to serve. Those who are accepted serve for a minimum of 26 months.[5] Regular guardsmen (halberdiers) were paid a tax-free salary of €1,300 per month plusovertime in 2006. They also receive Vatican citizenship for the duration of their service.[29] Accommodation and board are provided.[30] Members of the guard are eligible for pontifical decorations. TheBenemerenti medal is usually awarded after three years of faithful service.
If accepted, new guards are sworn in every year on 6 May, the anniversary of theSack of Rome, in the San Damaso Courtyard (Italian:Cortile di San Damaso) in the Vatican. In 2025, the ceremony was postponed following the death ofPope Francis on 11 April and the announcement that theconclave to elect his successor would be held in early May. The ceremony was eventually held on 4 October, and was also unusual in having the Pope himself present.[31]
At the ceremony, thechaplain of the guard reads aloud the fulloath of allegiance in the command languages of the Guard (German, Italian, and French):[32][33]
(English translation) I swear that I will faithfully, loyally and honourably serve the Supreme Pontiff (name of Pope) and his legitimate successors, and dedicate myself to them with all my strength, sacrificing, if necessary, my life to defend them. I assume this same commitment with regard to theSacred College of Cardinals whenever theApostolic See isvacant. Furthermore, I promise the Captain Commandant and my other superiors respect, fidelity and obedience. I swear to observe all that the honour of my position demands of me.
When his name is called, each new guard approaches the Pontifical Swiss Guard'sflag, grasping the banner in his left hand. He raises his right hand with his thumb, index, and middle finger extended along three axes, a gesture that symbolizes theHoly Trinity and theRütlischwur, and swears the oath in his native tongue. This may be any of the four officiallanguages of Switzerland. German is the most common, with over 60% of the Swiss population speaking it. Speakers of the variousdialects of the Romansh language are rare, at under 1% of the population. In 2021, 34 new guards were sworn in, 23 with a German language oath, 2 in Italian, 8 in French and 1 in Romansh.[34]
(English translation) I,Halberdier (name), swear to diligently and faithfully abide by all that has just been read out to me, so help me God and his Saints.
(German version) Ich, Hellebardier ..., schwöre, alles das, was mir soeben vorgelesen wurde, gewissenhaft und treu zu halten, so wahr mir Gott und seine Heiligen helfen.[35]
(French version) Moi, Hallebardier ..., jure d'observer, loyalement et de bonne foi, tout ce qui vient de m'être lu aussi vrai, que Dieu et Ses saints m'assistent.[35]
(Italian version) Io, Alabardiere ...., giuro d'osservare fedelmente, lealmente e onorevolmente tutto ciò che in questo momento mi è stato letto, che Iddio e i Suoi Santi mi assistano.[35]
Tricolorfull dress uniform worn withblack beret, 2010A 1577 fresco with a precursor of the uniformMorion helmet with red feathers.A Swiss Guardsman in exercise- and night uniform.
Thefull dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctlyRenaissance appearance. It was introduced by commandantJules Repond in 1914,[36] inspired by 16th-century depictions of the Swiss Guard.
An early precursor of the modern Pontifical Swiss Guard uniform can be seen in a 1577 fresco byJacopo Coppi of theEmpress Eudoxia conversing withPope Sixtus III.[37] The bearded figure in the center left is wearing clothing similar to today's recognisable three-colored uniform, with boot covers, white gloves, a high orruff collar, and either ablack beret orcomb morion, usually black but silver-coloured for high occasions. Sergeants wear a black top with crimson leggings. Other officers wear an all-crimson uniform.
The colors blue and yellow were in use from the 16th century, said to be chosen to represent theDella Roverecoat of arms of Julius II, with red added to represent theMedici coat of arms ofLeo X.
The ordinary guardsmen and the vice-corporals wear the "tricolor", yellow, blue and red uniform, without any rank distinctions except for a different model ofhalberd in gala dress. Thecorporals have red braid insignia on their cuffs and use a different, more spear-like, halberd.
Headwear is typically a large black beret for daily duties, such as guard duty ordrill. A black or silvermorion helmet with red, white, yellow, black, and purpleostrich feathers is worn for ceremonial duties, such as the annual swearing-in ceremony, or a reception of foreign heads of state. Historically, brightly coloredpheasant orheron feathers were used.[38]
Senior non-commissioned and warrant officers have a different type of uniform. All sergeants have essentially the same pattern of dress as ordinary guardsmen, but with black tunics and redbreeches. Each sergeant has a redplume on his helmet. The sergeant major displays distinctive white feathers. When the gala uniform is worn, sergeants have a different pattern of armor with a gold cord across the chest.
Thecommissioned officers, captains, major, vice-commander and commander, have a completely red uniform with a different style of breeches, and golden embroidery on the sleeves. They have a longer sword, which is used when commanding a group or a squadron of guards. In gala dress, all ranks wear a bigger purple plume on their helmets. The commander wears a white one. Usually the commander and the chief of staff, usually the vice-commander, use armor when present at gala ceremonies. On such occasions "armor complete" – including sleeve armor, is worn. Except for ceremonial occasions and exercises, officers of the guard wearcivilian dress when on duty.[17]
The modern regular dutyservice dress uniform is more functional, consisting of a simpler solid blue version of the more colorful tricolor grand gala uniform, worn with a simple brown belt, a flat white collar and a black beret.[36] For new recruits and rifle practice, a simple light blueoverall with a brown belt may be worn. During cold or inclement weather, a dark bluecape is worn over the regular uniform.
On October 2, 2025, a new formal uniform for nonceremonial events was unveiled. The new suit is recreation of a suit that was discontinued by the force in 1976. It is a solid black wool outfit featuring a yellow and white belt, two rows of buttons on the breast, and amandarin collar.[39]
The tailors of the Swiss Guard work inside the Vatican barracks. There, the uniform for each guardsman is tailor-made individually.[40] The total set of Renaissance style clothing weighs 8 pounds (3.6 kg), and may be the heaviest and most complicated uniform in use by any standing army today.[citation needed] A single uniform requires 154 pieces and takes nearly 32 hours and 3 fittings to complete.[41] They are made of high-quality wool exclusively sourced from the town ofBiella.[42]
In 2019, after more than 500 years, the Swiss Guard replaced its traditional metal helmet with a new version made ofPVC, with hidden air vents, which requires just one day to make, compared to several days for the metal model.[43]
Guards are forbidden from selling their suit. While they can keep the uniform after five years of service, they are contractually obliged to either be buried with the uniform or pass it on to a specific Swiss Guard association.[42]
The eponymous main weapon of thehalbardiers is thehalberd. Corporals and vice-corporals are equipped with apartisan polearm. Ranks above corporal do not have polearms, but on certain ceremonial occasions carrycommand batons.
The banner is escorted by twoflamberge great swords carried by corporals or vice-corporals. Adress sword is carried by all ranks, swords with a simple S-shaped crossguard by the lower ranks, and elaborate basket-hiltrapiers in the early baroque style by officers.
Arms and armor used by the Swiss Guard are kept in theArmeria (armory). TheArmeria also contains a collection of historical weapons no longer in use.[44][45]
The armory holds a collection of historicalplate armor,cuirasses orhalf-armor. The oldest specimens date to c. 1580, while the majority originates in the 18th century. Historical armor was worn during canonizations until 1970. Since then, their use has been limited to the oath ceremony on 6 May.[46][47]
A full set of replicas of the historical cuirasses was commissioned in 2012, fromWaffen und Harnischschmiede Schmidberger inMolln,Upper Austria. The cuirasses are handmade, and the production of a single piece takes about 120 hours.[46][47] The replicas are not financed by the Vatican, but by private donations via the Foundation for the Swiss Guard in the Vatican, aFribourg-based organisation established in 2000.[48]
In the 19th century, prior to 1870, the Swiss Guard along with thePapal Army used firearms with special calibres, such as the 12.7 mm Remington Papal.[49]
The Swiss Guard has a tradition of importing Swiss arms for familiarity. As recruits to the Swiss Guard must have undergone basic military training in Switzerland, they are already familiar with these weapons when they begin their Swiss Guard service.
The della Rovere coat of arms, used bySixtus IV, Francesco della Rovere, r. 1471–1484, and by his nephew Julius II, Giuliano della Rovere, r. 1503–1513,azure, an oak tree eradicated or, its four branches interlaced in saltire.[54]
The design of the banner of the Pontifical Swiss Guard banner has been changed several times. A fresco by Polidoro da Caravaggio in the burial chapel of the guard in Santa Maria della Pietà inCampo Santo Teutonico, commissioned by the second commander,Marx Röist, in 1522, depicts the commander of the guard flanked by two banners.An early reference to the guard's banner (vennly) dates to 1519, although the design of that banner is unknown.[55]
An early surviving banner is on display in theSala Regia. The banner changed with each pontificate, and depicted the colors of the coat of arms of the reigning pope. The modern colors of the Swiss Guard, introduced in the early 20th century, are those of theHouse of Medici, first used under theMedici popes and depicted in a fresco byGiuseppe Porta.[55]
UnderPius IX (Mastai Ferretti, r. 1846–1878), it was divided into three horizontal fields, displaying thecoat of arms of the Holy See (keys in saltire surmounted by the papal tiara on a red field), theSwiss flag (a white cross with two laurel branches on a red field) and a yellow field without heraldic charge. On the reverse side of the banner was the papal coat of arms of Pius IX.[56]
UnderPius X(Giuseppe Melchiorre, r. 1903–1914) and commander Leopold Meyer von Schauensee (1901–1910), the top field displayed the papal coat of arms in a blue field. The center field was red without heraldic charge and the bottom field displayed the family coat of arms of the guard commander.[56]
The modern design of the banner was first used under commander Jules Repond of Freiburg (1910–1921).[57] The modern banner is a square divided by a white cross into quarters, in the tradition of the banners historically used by theSwiss Guards in the 18th century. In the fourth quarter (lower right) is Pope Julius II'scoat of arms. In the first quarter (upper left) that of the reigning pope. The other two quarters display the Swiss Guard's colors, red, yellow and blue, the colors of the House of Medici. In the center of the cross is the commander's own coat of arms.[58]
The current banner from 2025 thus shows thecoat of arms of Pope Leo XIV in the first quarter and a vignette of the family coat of arms ofChristoph Graf in the center. It has dimensions of 2.2 m squared, woven in adamask pattern of pomegranates and thistles, in what is known as "Julius-damask", based on theJulius banners of 1512. The central vignette isembroidered on the backdrop of the colors of theflag of Lucerne. The guard colors in the second quarter (upper right) were reversed so that the second and third quarters are identical. The banner was completed in May 2025, and it was first used for the oath of service of new recruits in June 2025.[58]
The banner is carried out during ceremonies and theUrbi et Orbi address and blessing twice a year. During the pontificate of Pope Francis, only theFlag of Vatican City was used instead of the banner during ceremonial occasions, as a sort of national color whenever the Pope was present.
^The Swiss Guard has been disbanded several times, most notably for twenty years during 1527–1548, and briefly in 1564/5, in 1798/9 and during 1809–1814."Spotlight on the Swiss Guard". news.va. Archived fromthe original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved8 February 2015. Extant units of comparable age include the EnglishYeomen of the Guard, established in 1485, and the1st King's Immemorial Infantry Regiment of AHQ of the Spanish Army (Regimiento de Infantería "Inmemorial del Rey" no. 1)."Regimiento de Infantería 'Inmemorial del Rey' nº 1" [Infantry Regiment 'Immemorial del Rey' nº 1] (in Spanish). Ejército de Tierra – Ministerio de Defensa – España. Retrieved6 December 2014.
^abc"Les conditions" (in French). Garde Suisse Pontificale. Retrieved5 May 2024.
.jpg)
_(5994412883).jpg)
_Pontifical_Swiss_Guard.svg)
_Pontifical_Swiss_Guard.svg)
_Pontifical_Swiss_Guard.svg)
_Pontifical_Swiss_Guard.svg)
_Pontifical_Swiss_Guard.svg)
