One of the most famous and unusual features of the Vatican is its army. The Swiss Guard is not an ordinary guard, but one of the oldest military units in the whole world. Founded in 1506, it has preserved the original appearance of uniforms and weapons to the present. At the beginning of its history, the Vatican army carried out combat missions on the battlefield, being a model of valor and honor. Now its main tasks are to protect the Pope, the borders of the state and the rule of law. This article tells about the armed forces of the smallest state in the world and about where the Vatican is located on the world map.
Mercenaries from the Swiss cantons
The history of the Vatican Army dates back to the Swiss cantons, where the profession of a hired warrior was very popular during the Middle Ages. At that time, the cantons were overpopulated. The number of inhabitants reached half a million people, who, due to the weak economy at that time, was very difficult to earn a living. Such living conditions contributed to the emigration of the population, and the most suitable and profitable profession for emigrants was the work of a soldier of fortune.
The Confederation of Cantons recruited and organized detachments of mercenaries, having under their command over 15,000 soldiers, for this they received various commercial goods, which were subsequently sold, which gave a good income to the economy. Swiss mercenaries fought mainly in the warm season. They participated in brief but significant military clashes, and then returned to winter with rewards and trophies to their homeland.
In the Middle Ages, these were the best warriors in Europe. They had a small amount of artillery; they preferred exclusively foot combat. Each mercenary unit had its own banner, rules and law.
The formation of the Vatican Guard
The official date for the appearance of the Vatican army is considered to be January 22, 1506. On this day, a detachment of mercenaries of 150 people entered the Vatican, where he received the blessing of Pope Julius II.
When Rome was captured and looted by the army of the Holy Roman Empire on May 6, 1527, the Vatican soldiers saved Clement VII, who was at that time the title of pope. On that day, showing fierce resistance to the invaders, 147 Swiss guards were killed. The battle took place in St. Peter's Square. While the soldiers held the square, Pope Clement VII managed to escape through a secret passage.
Since then, May 6 is a significant date for the Vatican army. It is on this day that the recruits who entered the service take the oath in St. Peter's Square.
Today, guards, among other duties, are the personal guard of the Pope, guard his chambers and accompany him on trips abroad.
Basic requirements and features of service in the Vatican Armed Forces
The Vatican is the smallest state in the world with a population of up to 1,000, taking into account the troops conducting round-the-clock service in the country, and the protection of the Holy See.
The main responsibilities of the Vatican army include round-the-clock protection of the pope's chambers and state institutions. In addition, the guards take part in celebrations, consult with tourists visiting the country, and accompany the highest ranks of the clergy. The guards have an excellent reaction and good physical fitness. All irregularities are quickly suppressed.
In order to enlist in the armed forces of the Vatican, you must have Swiss citizenship, adhere to the Catholic faith and serve in the regular army. In addition, there are requirements for growth, which should be at least 175 centimeters and the candidate should not be married. Service in the Vatican Guard provides for periods of 2 to 20 years and has an individual character. Those serving in the Vatican’s army as commandant are a privileged part of the army, as this rank is the highest. The lowest rank is the halberdist. The size and armament of the Vatican army is unchanged. The guard consists of 110 people and is armed with both traditional means of defense in the form of halberds and modern small arms.
Uniform types
As in other armies of the world, soldiers of the Vatican Armed Forces have two types of uniforms: casual and ceremonial. The casual form has a blue color. It includes a deep blue jacket with a white turn-down collar, which is fastened with hidden hooks and buttons. The second element is wide trousers, tucked in leggings of dark blue color. Charter shoes are black boots. The headdress is taken of the same color - beret, on whose left side insignia are worn. In addition, a brown belt is made of leather. Guardsmen use their daily uniforms while serving in the internal buildings of the division and drill.
The ceremonial uniform, called the "gala", is worn by guards in the event of ceremonies and events. This form is made of woolen fabrics dyed in red, yellow and blue. In addition, this form involves the use of a steel cuirass and a helmet with a plume. With a full dress uniform, a brown leather belt, black beret and white gloves are to be worn. Headgear may vary depending on the ceremony. The black beret can be replaced with a white or a special Morion helmet. It is noteworthy that such equipment of a soldier of the Vatican army weighs more than 8 feet and is the heaviest dress uniform in the world.
Armament
Traditionally, as in the 14th century, the Vatican guards are armed with a halberd and a sword. Halberd became widespread in the late Middle Ages. With its help, foot soldiers did an excellent job with the armored knight's cavalry. Now this weapon is used by the guards mainly only in parades and ceremonies. However, when a soldier performs his duties, his arsenal includes: small arms, grenades and spray cans with pepper or tear gas. In addition, military personnel have excellent shooting skills from SIG class assault rifles and other types of firearms, both automatic and pistols.
Carabinieri Corps
The gendarme corps was founded by Pope Pius VI in the 19th century, at that time they were called carabinieri. The main function of this unit was to guard the Apostolic Palace, which included papal chambers and a number of other buildings and premises. In addition, they performed military functions, in particular, participated in the struggle against the revolutionary troops of Garibaldi. Subsequently, in 1870, the carabinieri corps was renamed the gendarmerie.
To serve in this unit are exclusively recruiting citizens who have served in the regular troops of Italy, having a height of 175 centimeters. In addition, the recruit must have positive characteristics and recommendations from the spiritual and secular authorities.
In 1970, a security corps was established on the basis of the gendarmes. In fact, he served as law enforcement and was part of the Italian police, but significantly superior to it in strict discipline and military training.
The gendarmerie is led by the Department of Security and Civil Protection. This unit carries out service around the clock, thanks to the shift schedule of employees. One shift lasts 6 hours a day.
Since 2008, the Vatican Gendarmerie has joined the international organization Interpol. The need for joining is explained by the importance of interacting with colleagues abroad during Pope’s trips.
The order of service in the papal guard
The Vatican Army Corps is divided into 3 groups. In the everyday mode, the first group is on guard, the second on substitution, the third is resting. In this case, the change of groups occurs once every 24 hours. If the matter concerns festive ceremonies, then at this time all the guards are at the same time serving.
Recruits of the papal guard are allowed to serve only after two months of training. During her, they are taught skills in hand-to-hand combat, shooting and emergency actions. In addition, special attention is paid to the study of the culture and language of Italy. Upon completion of training, soldiers are allowed to guard duty, which lasts up to 11 hours a day. Like any other modern army, the papal guard has intelligence and counter-terrorism units.
Some interesting facts about the guard of the pope
The Armed Forces of the Vatican have existed for more than 5 centuries and it is not surprising that during this time their own interesting rules and traditions appeared in this army. These include:
- Guardsmen are forbidden to have facial hair.
- Recruits, entering the service of the Vatican army, take an oath of allegiance to the Pontiff.
- Members of the Guard are prohibited from marrying for 3 years. After this time, the soldier has the right to be married exclusively to a Catholic.
- The soldiers are fed exclusively Swiss and Italian dishes. One of your favorite dishes is baked eggplant with parmesan cheese.
Where is the Vatican on the world map
This tiny state is located on the Apennine Peninsula, at a distance of 20 kilometers from the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Vatican hill is located on the right bank of the Tiber River in the northwestern part of Rome, and gardens are laid out on its gentle side. This country borders only on Italy, which extends around it. The borders of the state are indicated by a stone wall and have six gates. They are guarded by papal guards and gendarmerie officers.