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Inside the world’s smallest army: The Swiss Guard

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Abhishek
Inside the world’s smallest army: The Swiss Guard

The world’s smallest army recently announced that it is recruiting 25 new members, but the qualifications for joining the Vatican’s Swiss Guard are narrow – credentials that have not changed much since they were established more than 500 years ago.

 

Millions of pilgrims are expected to may their way to Rome in 2025, considered a Holy Year by the Catholic Church. The Vatican is preparing by beefing up its ranks from 110 members to 135 and opening a new media office in Switzerland.

 

The Swiss Guard is not to be confused with the Swiss armed forces, which serve Switzerland. Nor is it to be confused with the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City. The Swiss Guard is a unique army whose sole purpose is to protect the pope and the Vatican.

 

The Swiss Guard – aka the Pontifical Swiss Guard, or the Papal Swiss Guard – was established in 1506, during the Renaissance era, and so it is not only the smallest army but among the oldest military units still operating.


Attractive attire

 

On any regular weekday, the guards wear blue doublets and blue berets. They are equipped with traditional weapons, such as the halberd (a two-handed pole) during ceremonies, as well as with modern firearms (SIGs, mostly) and an inconspicuous pepper spray.


But when it’s time to show off for ceremonies, they wear the colorful Renaissance-era uniforms with stripes in the colors of the Medici family (red, dark blue, and lots of yellow), white ruffs and high plumed helmets, with feathers colored according to rank. Sometimes, the armor comes out of the closet too.


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