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The Pontifical Swiss Guard, [note 1] also known as the Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard, [4] is an armed force and honour guard unit maintained by the Holy See that protects the Pope and the Apostolic Palace within the territory of the Vatican City State.
At various points in its history the Swiss Guard has seen active service, but following the 1870 abolition of the Papal States it returned to its chief role as a bodyguard, with a limited ceremonial role, and survived into the period of the Vatican City State, as a de facto Vatican military unit from 1929. The Swiss Guard continues to fulfil ...
The Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard is the head of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. In total, there have been 35 commanders of the Swiss Guard serving 51 popes, with interruptions during 1527–1548 following the Sack of Rome , in 1564/5, in 1704–1712 and in 1798/9 following the French invasion .
The mother of a Swiss Guard member accused of committing one of the most sensational crimes in recent Vatican history – fatally shooting his commander and the senior officer's wife before ...
Security in Vatican City is also provided by the Pontifical Swiss Guard, a military unit of the Holy See, not Vatican City State. The Swiss Guard are responsible for the security of the Pope, dignitaries and all papal buildings. The Swiss Guard have maintained a centuries-long tradition of carrying swords and spears, unlike the Gendarmerie Corps.
The Hundred Swiss shared indoor guard duties with the King's Bodyguards (Garde du Corps), who were French. [5] The Hundred Swiss were armed with halberds, the blade of which carried the Royal arms in gold, as well as gold-hilted swords. Their ceremonial dress until 1789 comprised an elaborate 16th century Swiss costume covered with braid and ...
Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old climate activist, is due to address the annual World Economic Forum, where President Trump is the headline speaker.
Later on, the Swiss added the pike to better repel heavy cavalry and roll over enemy infantry formations, with the halberd, longsword, or the Swiss dagger used for closer combat. The German Landsknechte , who imitated Swiss warfare methods during the early 16th century, also used the pike, supplemented by the halberd.