Pontifical Swiss Guard
| Schweizergarde | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1506–present |
| Country | Vatican City |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Foot Guards |
| Role | Close Protection |
| Size | One reinforced company |
| Garrison/HQ | Vatican City |
| Commanders | |
| Ceremonial chief | Pope Benedict XVI |
The Corps of the Pontifical Swiss Guard or Swiss Guard (German: Schweizergarde or Das Corps der Päpstlichen Schweizergarde; Italian: Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; Latin: Pontificia Cohors Helvetica or Cohors Pedestris Helvetiorum a Sacra Custodia Pontificis) is something of an exception to the Swiss rulings of 1874 and 1927. It is a small force maintained by the Holy See and is responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace. It serves as the de facto military of Vatican City.
Read more about this topic: Swiss Guard
Famous quotes containing the words swiss and/or guard:
“You know there’s only two things more beautiful than a good gun—a Swiss watch or a woman from anywhere.”
—Borden Chase [Frank Fowler] (1900–1971)
“Let us guard against saying that there are laws in nature. There are merely necessities: there is no one who commands, no one who obeys, no one who transgresses. Once you understand that there are no purposes, then you also understand that nothing is accidental: for it is only in a world of purposes that the word “accident” makes sense.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)