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The Vatican’s Swiss Guard: The Pope’s Mysterious Army · The Infographics Show Podcast

• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Welcome to beyond infographics. You know, those really vibrantly dressed
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: figures you see guarding the Vatican, the Swiss.
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: Guard, instantly recognizable, aren't they totally?
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: We see the photos, maybe you've even seen them there
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: in person, But their story goes way beyond just those
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: colorful uniforms.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Oh. Absolutely, there's a whole history there.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: So today we're doing a deep dive into their past,
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: looking at how they started out as mercenaries, really sought
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: after soldiers, right, and how.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: That tradition somehow uniquely survived right there within the Vatican exactly.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Consider this your shortcut, your briefing on the Swiss Guard story.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: It's pretty fascinating how these Swiss soldiers. I mean now
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: you think Vatican immediately, right, but they actually came to
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: prominence much earlier across Europe. Really.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: Yeah, So what was it about Switzerland back then, say,
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: late fifteenth century, what made their soldiers so so valuable.
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: Well, it's kind of a mix of things. Yeah, you've
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: got the geography for starters, that challenging mountainous.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Terrain right builds hardy people, I imagine definitely.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: And also their political system was quite decentralized. It wasn't
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: like these big centralized kingdoms.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Okay, so less rigid control.
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and that fostered you know, physical toughness, but also
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: this strong sense of community, individual responsibility, things that made
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: for really disciplined, reliable soldiers.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: Ah. So discipline was key hugely and.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: That reputation, well it's bread, which is how you start
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: seeing dedicated Swiss guard units pop up.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: And it wasn't actually the pope who had the first
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: permanent Swiss guard, was it. I think France beat them
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: to it.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: You're absolutely right. Way back in fourteen eighty, King Louis
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: the EDAs of France set up the hundred Swiss, the
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: st Swiss.
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: One hundred Swiss, okay.
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: And that was the very first permanent Swiss guard unit.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: Their main job protecting the king personally inside the palace,
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: well bodyguards exactly. And by fourteen ninety six, so not
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: long after, the unit grew about one hundred guardsmen nearly
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: thirty officers, a pretty established part of the French court.
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: So friends didn't just have one Swiss unit, they actually
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: had two they did.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you had the one hundred Swiss who were more
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: about let's say ceremonial stuff and the King's immediate safety.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: Inside Okay, the inside, I guess.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: And then there was the Swiss Guards regiment bigger picture.
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: They handled security at the palace gates. But they were
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: also a proper combat unit.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: Ah, so they'd fight in wars too.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, they could be deployed, So two distinct roles. Really,
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: they must have.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Looked pretty impressive. I mean, you mentioned the uniforms, but
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: the whole package.
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: Oh, definitely. Their discipline was legendary. Everyone knew they were reliable,
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: and their appearance, well it shouted elite.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: What kind of gear did they have?
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: Typically armed with halberds, those long pole axe things and
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: these really distinctive gold hilted swords. Plus, yeah, the uniforms
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: were elaborate, clearly marked them out.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: Okay, this is where the story takes. Well, a really
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: dramatic turn, doesn't it. The French Revolution August tenth, seventeen
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: ninety two.
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: A huge moment, Yeah, a really pivotal and tragic day.
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: What happened exactly, Well, you had about nine hundred Swiss
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: Guards defending the Tuileri's Palace, the Royal Palace, and they
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: were up against this massive revolutionary mob, vastly outnumbered, hugely
• 3:17
  Speaker 3: but they held their ground, showed incredible loyalty.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: But ultimately it was a massacre. How many survived, not many,
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: Around six hundred were killed, many even after they had surrendered.
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: It was brutal.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Wow, that's intense.
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: It really highlighted their loyalty, that famous Swiss loyalty. But
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: it also effectively marked the beginning of the end for
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: widespread Swiss military service in France.
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: Such a heavy price for that loyalty. Okay, let's shift
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: focus a bit back to the Vatican. How did the
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: Papal Swiss Guard get started? Seems the popes also wanted
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: that Swiss dedication.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Pretty much the same reason. Yeah, that reputation for skill
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: and loyalty. Pope Julius a second back in fifteen oh six,
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: he decided he needed a dedicated.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: Unit for his own protection, exactly.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: To protect the Vatican and crucially the Pope himself. And
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: that's the start of the guard we see today, that
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: iconic symbol.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: And unlike all those other Swiss units serving kings and
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: dukes across Europe, this one, the Papal Guard, actually lasted.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: It's still going.
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: That's the unique thing, isn't it. The Pontifical Swiss Guard
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: is the only active Swiss Guard unit left still there
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: in Vatican City.
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: So what's their day to day like now in the
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: twenty first century. It's got to be more than just
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: standing around looking impressive for tourists.
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, yeah. Yes, the ceremonial part is very visible.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: You see them at events guarding entrances. But their main
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: job is security, real security, real security, ensuring the safety
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: of the Pope, guarding the entrances to the city state.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: They're a modern, functioning security force, just a very traditional
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: looking one and.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: Getting in is tough, right. It's not just anyone who can.
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: Join, definitely not. It's famously the smallest army in the
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: world as of twenty twenty four, just one hundred and
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: thirty five members.
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: Wow, one thirty five.
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: That's tiny, it is, and the requirements are very specific.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: You have to be a Swiss Catholic male age between
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: nineteen and thirty. You need to be at least five
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: foot eight and a half inches tall.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: Height requirement interesting, yep, you.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: Must have completed basic training in the Swiss Armed Forces
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: back home, and you need a professional diploma or a
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: high school degree. And one more thing, right, you have
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: to be unmarried when you join, and you commit to
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: at least twenty six months of service.
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: It's amazing how these really specific, almost old world requirements
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: have carried through.
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: It keeps it very distinct, doesn't it.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: Definitely? Now you mentioned other units earlier. It wasn't just
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: France and the Pope using Swiss soldiers, was it. They
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: were kind of all over Europe for a while.
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: They really were. For several centuries. Sixteenth through to the
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: nineteenth you found Swiss guards in various courts like where Well.
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: Savoy had them for a long stretch fifteen seventy nine
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: to seventeen ninety eight. Prussia had a unit for a
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: bit under Frederick the First Okay, Saxony used them off
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: and on. Even the Dutch Republic had them personal guards
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: for the Stadtholder, their leader. That regiment lasted until seventeen
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: ninety six.
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: The Dutch too, interesting any others?
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: Genoa down in Italy they had a Swiss guard from
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: sixteen oh nine to seventy ninety seven. Yeah, quite widespread.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: And were their jobs similar in these places, mainly the
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: ceremonial stuff and guarding palaces generally.
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: Yes, that seems to have been the core function ceremonial presence,
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: making sure the rulers' residence was secure. Their reputation for
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: neutrality probably helped in places like the Dutch Republic too.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: Let's talk uniforms again, because they really are iconic, especially
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: the Vatican ones. Did they vary a lot between these
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: different units?
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: Oh, hugely, lots of variation, always vibrant, often reflecting the
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: colors or symbols of the court they served.
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: So not always the blue, red, and yellow, we know.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: No. In France, for instance, those one hundred Swiss had
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: these really ornate sixteenth century style costumes, very elaborate, while
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: the Swiss Guards regiment wore more standard military red coats
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: but with dark blue details.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: And the papal guard uniform that class Renaissance look. Everyone
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: thinks Michaelangelo designed it is that true.
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: That's the popular story. The attribution to Michael Angelos certainly
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: looks Renaissance inspired, but the actual modern design, the when
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: you see today, that was introduced much later in nineteen fourteen.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: Yeah, nineteen fourteen, okay.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: But the colors are significant. The blue and yellow come
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: from the family colors of Pope Julius, the second the
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: Della Rover family.
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: Right, the pope who founded them exactly, and the.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: Red that represents the Midichi family of Pope Leo X. So, yeah,
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: those colors are deeply tied to their history and have
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: become a real symbol of the Vatican itself.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: Another tradition that sounds really powerful is the oath ceremony
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: that happens every year.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: Yes, every year on May sixth. It's a very solemn
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: and significant event. Why ma six It commemorates the sack
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: of Rome in fifteen twenty seven, a defining moment we
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: should definitely talk more about.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: Okay, we'll come back to that. But during the ceremony,
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: what happens the new recruits.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: Are formally sworn in. They pledge their faithful service loyalty
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: to the reigning Pope and all his successors, and to
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: the cardinals too, yes, specifically to the College of Cardinals
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: if the papacy is vacant during what's called the seed vicante.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: Right, And you mentioned they're a modern security force despite
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: the traditional look. So it's not just Halbert's not.
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: All the halbrid is there. It's iconic part of their heritage,
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: but they absolutely use modern firearms. They're trained in up
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: to date security tactics they have.
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: To be makes sense. So thinking about all those other
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: Swiss units that disappeared, what made them fade away while
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: the Papal Guard kept going.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: It mostly came down to politics back in Switzerland itself.
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: Ah changes at home exactly.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: The Swiss Federal Constitution of eighteen forty eight and then
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: some laws after that in eighteen fifty nine and nineteen
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: twenty seven, they basically outlawed Swiss citizens serving in foreign militaries.
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: Why did they do that to really.
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: Cement Switzerland's neutrality on the European stage, to avoid getting
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: dragged into other countries' conflicts.
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: That they made an exception for the Pope's Guard, they did.
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: A specific exception was made for the Pontifical Swiss Guard,
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: acknowledging its unique status and very long history tied directly
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: to the Vatican. Not really a foreign power in the
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: same political sense.
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: Okay, you mentioned the Sack of Rome earlier, commemorated on
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: May sixth. That sounds incredibly important. What actually happened back
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: in fifteen twenty seven.
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: It was brutal May six, fifteen twenty seven, part of
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: a larger conflict, the war the League of Cognac. Basically
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: unpaid mutinous troops of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles the
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: fifth stormed.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: Rome, mutinous imperial troops attacking room.
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it was chaotic and violent, and the Swiss Guard
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: found themselves defending Pope Clement the seventh. There were only
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: one hundred and eighty nine.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: Of them against an army.
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: Against thousands of rampaging soldiers. They made this incredibly valiant
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: last stand on the steps of Saint Peter's Basilica, and
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: one hundred and forty seven of those one hundred and
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: eighty nine guards died, including their commander, Caspar russ.
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: Wow one hundred and forty seven out of one hundred
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: and eighty nine.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: But their sacrifice bought time. It allowed Pope Clement the
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: seventh to escape through a secret passage, the pisetto di
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: Borgo passage I've heard of that, to the safety of
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: Castel sant Anelo. So they literally gave their lives to
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: save the Pope.
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: That act of loyalty, that's sacrifice, no wonder, it's the
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: cornerstone of their identity.
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, it cemented their reputation forever. That's why May sixth
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: is the date they swear in new recruits to remember
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: that ultimate active service. The sheer brutality of the sack
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: shocked Europe. You know, it showed how vulnerable even the
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: papacy could be.
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I can imagine.
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: And the Guard's stand became this potent symbol of loyalty
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: in a really turbulent time. It solidified their unique, almost
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: sacred role.
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: It really puts their whole history into perspective, and their
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: influence goes beyond just military stuff, right, They even pop
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: up in culture they do.
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: That historical link to being elite royal protectors kind of
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: filtered into general awareness. Shakespeare, for instance, Shakespeare wrote about them, well,
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: he mentioned Switzers guarding a door in Hamlet, reflects that
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: common perception Swiss soldiers equal loyal, reliable guards for royalty.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: So wrapping things up, the Swiss Guard, especially the Vatican unit,
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: they really stand as this enduring symbol, don't.
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: They absolutely a powerful global symbol I'd say of tradition, yes,
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: but also that unwavering discipline, that incredible loyalty. We've talked about.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: Their whole story is just this amazing mix, isn't it,
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: Military history, huge political shifts in Europe, but also this
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: unbroken line of tradition right up to.
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: Today, from mercenaries for hire to the Pope's personal protectors.
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: It's quite a journey. Gives you a unique window into
• 11:31
  Speaker 2: European history and Vatican history.
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: Too, it really does. And if you listening are enjoying
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: these kinds of deep dives, please do think about giving
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: Beyond Infographics of five star rating. It genuinely helps other
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: people find the show and discover these stories.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: We really hope going through the Swiss guards world has
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: given you some maybe surprising insights, a richer picture than
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: just the uniform for sure.
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: What part of their story stands out most to you now?
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: Is it the Sack of Rome, the French revel or
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: maybe just how they've kept going, or maybe.
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: You're curious about other historical traditions like this. There's always
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: more to dig into, isn't there? Perhaps look more into
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: those uniform changes or the lives of individual guardsmen.
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: Definitely always more to uncover when you look beyond the surface.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: Join us next time on Beyond Infographics. We'll be unpacking
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: another fascinating topic, giving you the essentials to stay informed
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: efficiently