Couple of things I did not know of about my favorite Army! ^_^ The Swiss Guard: 500 years defending the Pope. On January 22, 1505 a 150-men strong Swiss infantry entered Rome as the newly appointed Pope security detail body guards. Since that moment in history, they have always provided for the safety of the Holy Father, up to the point of sacrificing their lives “en masse”, in order to protect the Pontiff’s life and integrity (A.D. 1527). After five centuries in their capacity of security forces of the Pope, they have become part of the Roman scenery and urban landscape, thanks to their halberds and – above all – their red, blue and ocher uniform. Shape and colors are quintessentially Renaissance-style and they have been erroneously attributed to Michelangelo, when in fact they were designed just a century ago by Swiss Guard commander, Jules Repond, who found inspiration from some sketches by Raphael. No one knows actually how soldiers were dressed when the first infantry arrived from the German cantons of Switzerland January 22, 1506, at the request of the Pope himself as his personal guard. The invitation was accepted with enthusiasm, also due to the hunger that tormented those lands then (now instead they are synonym with wealth and abundance!). Truth is the Swiss confederation in the Middle Ages was one of the poorest areas of Europe. An economy entirely based on agriculture did not create much wealth in those rugged valleys. This is why the only real alternative to starvation was to enlist in some mercenary band or small army. However, what made the Swiss infantrymen different from everybody else in that field was one simple trait: faithfulness. Once the contract was signed and they had been officially hired, nothing and no one could have pushed them to betray the pacts. The Swiss soldiers had cut their teeth and gained quite a valuable experience from the end of the thirteenth century in grueling battles with the intrusive Austrian neighbours. A fascinating epic tradition was therefore born, which had its most famous hero in William Tell, a character halfway between reality and legend. This multi-centuries struggle had forged these brave soldiers, who were soon hired by several European sovereigns to fight their wars. Swiss soldier were renowned and famous for their considerable military skill and – most of all – for their unwavering steadfast loyalty to the man who had hired them. This way during the fifteenth century many princes and monarchs took the habit to recruit them as their private bodyguards. For instance, in 1480, Louis XI, King of France, was used to surround himself with a selected body of 100 infantrymen, called the Cent Suisses. A choice that struck a chord with Pope Sixtus IV: in 1479, the Vicar of Christ signed the very first contacts with the Swiss Confederation to recruit mercenaries. Their actual enlistment took place, however, only seven years later, on January 22, 1506, when Julius II wanted in Rome 150 halberds exclusively tasked with protecting his own papal person. At that time Michelangelo was called by the Pope to make his tomb and this generated the popular misconception on the uniforms as designed by the Tuscan master. The heroism and faithfulness of the Swiss Guards was soon to be put on test: on May 6, 1927, the Eternal City was sacked and burned by militias loyal to Charles V. The Swiss infantry defended Pope Clement VII up to the ultimate sacrifice: out of 189 men only 42 survived. These few dozen made up a small unit that accompanied and brought to safety the Pope in Castel SantAngelo (formerly the Mausoleum of Hadrian). After that heroic and partially successful last stand, their figure was from now on inextricably linked to the Pope. (See the breach of Porta Pia later on in history). This small military body was reformed in 1914 when Pius X decided to fix the total number to 100, including both six officers and the commander. The very same year, Jules Repond redesigned the historical uniform. Based on Raphael’s drafts and not, as the legend goes, on Michelangelo. The blue and yellow colours were related to the coat of arms of Pope Julius II, while the red one came from the blazon of Clement VII. Swiss Guard wears either a black beret or the morrione, an old-fashioned helmet, which is combined with a torso armour of the seventeenth century (used only on special occasions). The flamboyant uniform gives often way to a more practical set of working clothes: dark blue pants and shirt coupled with a black beret. The number of Swiss varied significantly over time: during the Second World War, for example, was temporarily increased to 300 units. Currently there are 110 soldiers, divided as follows: 78 halberdiers, a vice corporal, a corporal, a sergeant, a sergeant major, two captains, a major, two lieutenant colonels, including the chaplain, and a colonel, who is commander of the entire military body. Virtually unchanged for centuries are the requirements to be drafted: male, Swiss citizenship, Catholic faith, Swiss military service in the Army with a certificate of good conduct. And also: aged between 18 and 30, minimum height of 174 cm (5-7), unmarried (marriage is permissible either after the 25th birthday or after three years of the service for non-commissioned officers only), and a certificate of professional ability or baccalaureate . Main duties of the Swiss Guard include: access control, security service, and personal protection in general, services of Honor during hearings, receptions, Masses, and other public events. The military body must continuously monitor the safety of both the Holy Father and his residence, accompany him on his travels and protect the College of Cardinals when the Apostolic See is vacant. The official admission and oath of the new recruits takes place every year on May 6th, in memory of the heroic sacrifice that took place during the sack of Rome. In 2003, breaking a centuries-old tradition, a dark skin member was sworn in before the Swiss Guard: Dhani Bachmann, 22, of Indian origin, who served only for a few years. Nowadays it is open a debate on whether to admit women or not. On May 5th, 2009, the commander in charge Daniel Anrig declared himself in favor, contradicting his predecessor, Elmar Mäder that absolutely contrary. Decisions, within a millennial institution like the Church, are usually taken with great caution, so it will take for sure a long time..before at the gates of the Vatican State we might spot a female Swiss guard for the first time. In Italian language: invece di una Guardia Svizzera, una (ragazza) Svizzera! ^_^ :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Guard en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Rome_%281527%29 https://youtube/user/1506GSP https://facebook/gsp1506 https://artstor.wordpress/2014/11/04/michelangelo-raphael-and-the-swiss-guard-uniforms/ vatican.va/roman_curia/swiss_guard/swissguard/divisa_en.htm ikangaroo/2008/09/26/tour-myth-buster-michelangelo-and-swiss-guard-uniform/ fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Repond it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Repond :)
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:16:46 +0000
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