The Pontifical Swiss Guard

14 September 2022

The Vatican’s Swiss Guard (Pontificia Cohors Helvetica) expands from 110 to 135 men.  Therefore the small army is looking for new recruits:  these must be Catholic, male, unmarried and of Swiss nationality.

Pratteln, Galerie Beyeler, exhibition ´Schweizer Garde´, 2019. Photo: TES.

The Guard was founded in 1506. It is the only foreign military organization Swiss citizens can join today.

Andrea Aacchi, Jan Miel, Filippo Gagliardi, The Church Il Gesù  Rome, 1640. Collection Nazionali d’Arte Antica di Roma. Exhibition ‘Baroque. Age of Contrasts’ National Museum Zurich

Detail: The Swiss Guard

Bern, Apostolische Nuntiatur. Photo: Nonciature – Conférence des évêques Suisses (eveques.ch)

Foundation for the Renovation of the Barracks of the Swiss Guard

The Foundation for the Renovation of the barracks of the Swiss Guards was founded in 2016. The foundation (La Fondation pour la Rénovation de la Caserne de la Garde Suisse Pontificale au Vatican/ Die Stiftung für die Renovation der Kaserne der Päpstlichen Schweizergarde im Vatikan) undertakes fundraising activities to finance the project.

The Swiss Guard. National Museum Zurich

Galauniform Zwitserse Garde, c. 1820. Collectie: Rätisches Museum, Chur.

La Garde Suisse, gala uniform, 20 August 2022 in Lugano. Photo: TES.