The Pontifical Swiss Guard

"Fideliter et acriter" (Faithfully and fiercely) read the motto of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, the smallest and oldest standing army in the world. Founded by Pope Julius II in 1506, the Guard was established by recruiting elite Swiss mercenaries, considered at the time to be the most formidable troops in Europe. For over five centuries, these distinctively uniformed soldiers have guarded the entrances to Vatican City, the Apostolic Palace, and the Holy Father himself.

Their defining moment of heroism occurred during the devastating Sack of Rome on May 6, 1527. As the mutinous troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V breached the city walls, 147 Swiss Guards fell in a desperate, vicious rear-guard action on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica. Their sacrifice bought enough time for Pope Clement VII, accompanied by the remaining 42 guards, to escape across the secret Passetto di Borgo to the safety of Castel Sant'Angelo. To this day, new recruits are sworn in annually on May 6th in memory of this heroic stand.

Despite their ceremonial Renaissance uniforms—whose vivid blue, red, orange, and yellow hues are often apocryphally attributed to Michelangelo—the modern Swiss Guard is a highly trained military force. Beneath their colorful doublets, they carry modern, concealed weaponry alongside traditional halberds. Recruits must be unmarried Catholic Swiss males, standing at least 174 cm (5'8") tall, who have completed mandatory service in the Swiss Armed Forces.