Swiss Guards, Italian Guardia Svizzera, 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 and as watchmen for Vatican City and the pontifical villa of Castel Gandolfo. 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. 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 inches (1.74 metres) tall; 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.) The guards normally wear blue doublets and blue berets, but on ceremonial occasions they don the colourful Renaissance-era uniforms for which they are famous. They are among the oldest uniforms in continuous use, though Michelangelo, contrary to legend, probably did not design them. The tunics are striped in the colours of the Medici family: red, dark blue, and yellow. White ruffs and high plumed helmets (with ostrich feathers coloured to reflect different ranks) are also worn, as, on occasion, is armour. While in traditional dress, the guards carry pikes and swords, but they are also trained in the use of modern weaponry and counterterrorism techniques. 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. Their chapel is that of Saints Martino and Sebastiano, and the Campo Santo Teutonico, near St. Peter’s Basilica, is designated their cemetery.
Posted on: Thu, 22 May 2014 00:42:20 +0000