On This Day In History: 150 Highly-Trained Swiss Guards Entered Vatican For The First Time – On Jan 22, 1506

AncientPages.com - On January 22, 1506, a group of 150 Swiss mercenaries led by their Captain Kaspar of Silenen in the Canton of Uri entered the Vatican for the first time through the "Porta del Popolo." Pope Julius II blessed them.

Group of Pontifical Swiss Guard inside St. Peter's Basilica. Image credit: Alberto Luccaroni (Luccaro) -CC BY-SA 3.0

The Swiss Guard is comprised of very well-trained men to serve as bodyguards and escorts in European courts since the fifteenth-century with Swiss soldiers. They represent regiments of mercenaries to guard the kings of France, Spain, and Naples and families of high European nobility who distrusted their fellow citizens.

Indeed, many poisonings and stabbings in the high courts led to distrust in the courtiers' servers. Today is the official day of the foundation of the Pontifical Swiss Guard.

For over 500 years, the highly-trained Swiss Guard has been at the Pope's service and watching over the Vatican.

The Pope's choice to hire Swiss mercenaries was no accident. The Swiss soldiers had a reputation of being invincible thanks to their courage, their noble intentions, and their proverbial loyalty. The great Roman historian Tacitus noted many centuries ago:

"The Helvetians are a nation of men of war and its soldiers are well known for their fighting qualities." For this reason, the Swiss cantons, who allied themselves with one country and then again with another, played a significant."

Despite a clumsy uniform, these men are considered among the most elite soldiers in the world. Each man is a master in hand-to-hand combat, as well as the use of pistols and small arms perfectly hidden beneath the brightly-colored cloth.

As is typical with any elite military corps, competition is intense for inclusion in the Swiss Guards. Recruits must be unmarried Roman Catholic males with Swiss citizenship, between 19 and 30 years of age, and at least 5 feet 8 inches (1.74 meters) tall.

They must have a professional diploma or high school degree and complete basic training with the Swiss military.

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