"Vatican Swiss Guard 500 years old today" Topic

The Vatican Swiss Guard was inaugerated 500 years ago today

schweizergarde.org

Yes, I saw it to. I guess it's about time to upgrade their armament to include crossbows.

I had heared that they are planning a renactment of the march to Rome by the first group this summer.

who needs crossbows when you have a +3 for fighting in sacred ground, and a +5 bless to every roll whenever you hare inside a 100 meters radius from the pope?

And you wouldn´t like to fight the cardinals….

And if the Guard fails they still have the Sturm-Jesuits and the Armoured Franciscans.

and a mother superior with a crucifix can be a very frightening prospect when she goes berserk

And Benedict XVI was nicknamed panzerkardinal before his election as pope…

Does anyone know how they choose the men who fill the position? They look to be Italian?

look at their website and it will tell you all

Actually the chaps in the fancy togs and halberds are just for show. the actual security details use machine guns. I wouldn't be surprised if the ceremonial guards had their machine pistols stashed somewhere nearby in case of need.

James

To enter the Swiss Guard you have to be 18-30 years old, Roman Catholic and have the Swiss Nationality. Candidates are screened for upstanding moral values etc.

In addition to halberds and swords they also carry Sig-Sauer pistols and assault rifles.

Basic pay is about €1200, but you get free room and board.

Their uniform, which is said to have been designed by Michelangelo, actually dates from 1910.

I did some work with the Vatican a few years ago and had to have meetings in offices there quite a bit. I'm 6'1" tall and these guys made me feel like a dwarf. I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of one of their halberds let alone a Sig-Sauer! Seriously scary!

the guys in the panto outfits are not all show, they have to have completed basic military training in Swiss army before they can join, the plain clothes guys with the bulges under the jacket are also part of the swiss guard

I meant the chaps in the ceremonial uniforms are 'on show'. LIke the Guards Brigade at Buckingham Palace. Real soldiers who can do real soldiering, they just dress up pretty for some of their work asignments.

But I would guess there is a reaction team in a guard room somewhere with more modern uniforms.

James

I like this quote:
"The camaraderie between young unmarried men should not be undervalued."

Gwindel, hadn't heard Panzerkardinal yet, just God's Rottweiler.

They are the sole surviving Swiss mercenary unit in existence.

Their ongoing service is a specific exception to the Swiss constitutional amendment which declared Switzerland perpetually neutral and officially ended the great Swiss mercenary tradition in all other respects.

PVO

"Does anyone know how they choose the men who fill the position? They look to be Italian?"

"To enter the Swiss Guard you have to be 18-30 years old, Roman Catholic and have the Swiss Nationality."

Of some note here is that the Swiss come in three basic flavors: French Swiss, Italian Swiss, and German Swiss. It should come as no surprise that the Italian Swiss can often resemble Italians, particularly after spending time in that Mediterranean climate and given how much variety the Italians themselves show.

The ones I remember were blonde and Germanic looking..

German Swiss – and happy birthday, Swiss Guard