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Swiss Papal Guards

Corpo della Guardia Svizzera

They are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide security and protect the Pope. They wear very colourful clothing, similar to the uniforms worn by Renaissance-era soldiers. The Pontifical Swiss Guards is also the smallest and oldest standing army in the world, founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II. The origins of the Swiss guards, however, go back much further as the popes had regularly imported Swiss mercenaries during the 1400s.

Website: schweizergarde.ch (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Rome/Vatican, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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