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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.
The troops defending Rome were not very numerous: only 5,000 militiamen led by Renzo da Ceri and 189 [7] Papal Swiss Guards. The city's defenses included the massive Aurelian Walls, and substantial artillery, which the Imperial army lacked. Charles of Bourbon needed to conquer the city swiftly to avoid the risk of being trapped between the ...
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.
Mario Enzler, former Pontifical Swiss Guard, will reflect on his time in service to Pope St. John Paul II as pontifical guard at the papal residence in Vatican City and Castel Gandolfo, on ...
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.
Caspar Röist (13 July 1478 – 6 May 1527) was a Swiss papal official and commander of the papacy's Swiss Guard. He died whilst commanding it in its last stand during the sack of Rome in 1527. A native of Zürich , and son of mayor of Zürich and colonel of the Swiss Guard Marx Röist (1454–1524), Röist was a student in Basel in 1494, and ...
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 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 ...