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Swiss Guards, Italian Guardia Svizzera, corps of Swiss soldiers responsible for the safety of the pope.
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The Swiss Guard, or “Pontifical Guard”, makes up the smallest army in the world, comprised of 135 men who act as the private body guards of the Pope and, together with the “gendarmerie” (the Vatican Police), protect all entrance and exit points of the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo, the pope’s summer residence.
The Swiss Guard on watch at the Vatican City. #VaticanCity #Rome #Italy #St.PetersBasilica #SwissGuard
The Lion Monument in Lucerne, designed by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, and hewn by Lukas Ahorn. From our visit to Switzerland last summer
Lucerne, 20.08.2015.
Olympus OMD EM5 Digital Camera
Here's a photo of Swiss Guards at one of the official entrances to Vatican City, the Arco delle Campane. Haven't been here for a long time and had forgotten how impressive the building is!
The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard, or just Swiss Guard; Latin: Pontificia Cohors Helvetica or Cohors Pedestris Helvetiorum a Sacra Custodia Pontificis; Italian: Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; German: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; French: Garde suisse pontificale) is a small force maintained by the Holy See that is responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace. The Swiss Guard serves as the de facto military of Vatican City. Established in 1506 under Pope Julius II, the Pontifical Swiss Guard is among the oldest military units in continuous operation.
The dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance. The modern guard has the role of bodyguard of the Pope. The Swiss Guard is equipped with traditional weapons, such as the halberd, as well as with modern firearms. Since the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, a much stronger emphasis has been placed on the guard's non-ceremonial roles, and has seen enhanced training in unarmed combat and small arms.
Recruits to the guards must be unmarried Swiss Catholic males between 19 and 30 years of age who have completed basic training with the Swiss Armed Forces.
Wikipedia
Papal Swiss Guard in the Vatican founded in 1506 and is the oldest, continually active military corps in history and the worlds smallest army with just 110 soldiers!
These men are of Swiss nationality, catholics and well trained army men in the age group of 18-30.
A souvenir snapshot on the visit of Vatican in 2008.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. If you wish to use this image, please, contact me through flickrmail or at vicenc.feliu@gmail.com. © All rights reserved...
The Corps of the Pontifical Swiss Guard or Swiss Guard (Ger: Schweizergarde, Ital. Guardia Svizzera Pontificia, Lat. Pontificia Cohors Helvetica, or Cohors Pedestris Helvetiorum a Sacra Custodia Pontificis) is a small force of Swiss mercenaries responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace and access to the entrances to the Vatican City. Its official language is Swiss German. It serves as the de facto, if not de iure, military of the Vatican City.
I am 5 feet 11inches (1.8 meters) tall and I weight 190 pounds (86.2 kilos), that is one Big Boy standing next to me!!! XD
Swiss Guards is the name given to the Swiss soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. Now they are seen only in Vatican city. The official dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance. Commandant Jules Repond created the current uniforms in 1914 and both Michelangelo and a painting of the Pontifical Swiss Guard bearing Pope Julius II (by Raphael) are often cited as inspiration for the Swiss Guard uniform.
Many thanks for the views and happy Friday!
La Guardia Svizzera Pontificia è un corpo armato fedelmente al servizio del Papato dal 22 gennaio 1506.
One of the most impressive sculptures I have ever seen, in a lovely grotto in my favorite Swiss city, Lucerne. The slight green tint you see reflected in the lion's shadows is from light reflecting from the water in the grotto.
From Wikipedia:
The Lion Monument is a sculpture designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally-wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."
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Queuing for the entrance of Saint Peter's basilica we past by this scene. Using the telephoto lens and some patience got me this serene shot of one of the Swiss guards. I like the colours of the uniform, the framing of the scene and the repetition of the arches. Most visitors didn't even notice him. But after I took my chance more people tried the same, with their phones.... Hmm, I wonder if they kept their shots.
update 250220: I followed a suggestion to crop the original image to its current size. The focus is even more on the colourful uniform and the soft lights and colours in the background. It makes the image stronger. Thanks for the tip Titus!
Enjoy!
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The Pontifical Swiss Guard (also Papal Swiss Guard or simply Swiss Guard; Latin: Pontificia Cohors Helvetica; Italian: Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; German: Päpstliche Schweizergarde; French: Garde suisse pontificale) is a minor armed forces and honour guards unit maintained by the Holy See that protects the Pope and the Apostolic Palace, serving as the de facto military of Vatican City. Established in 1506 under Pope Julius II, the Pontifical Swiss Guard is among the oldest military units in continuous operation.
The dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance. The modern guard has the role of bodyguard of the Pope. The Swiss Guard are equipped with traditional weapons, such as the halberd, as well as with modern firearms. Since the failed assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, a much stronger emphasis has been placed on the Guard's non-ceremonial roles, and has seen enhanced training in unarmed combat and small arms.
Recruits to the guards must be unmarried Swiss Catholic males between 19 and 30 years of age who have completed basic training with the Swiss Armed Forces.
The unit's security mission is assisted by the Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City.
( Wikipedia)
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