© Getty Images

History of the Swiss Guard -

The Swiss Guard, or Pontifical Guard, has a long and storied history that stretches back to the Middle Ages. Before they came under the exclusive employment of the Pope, these Swiss soldiers had other priorities.

© Getty Images

The Swiss mercenaries -

During the 15th century, highly-trained mercenaries armed with pikes and the now-famous halberds were highly sought-after by militaries across Europe. Over the years, their loyalty and advanced tactics eventually caught the attention of the Church.

© Public Domain

Pope Sixtus IV -

Pope Sixtus IV was the first pope to employ the Swiss mercenaries, in 1478, when he made a temporary deal with the Swiss Confederacy in order to fortify the borders of the Papal States. This contract between the Church and the Swiss was renewed by numerous popes after Sixtus IV, but the Swiss mercenaries were still just that, mercenaries, and were not loyal to the Pope exclusively.

© Public Domain

The Italian Wars -

During the Italian Wars, which were a convoluted series of conflicts between France and the Spanish Hapsburgs and their various allies that started a the end of the 15th century, the Swiss mercenaries could be seen fighting on nearly all fronts of the war, sometimes even against each other.

© Getty Images

The Italian Wars -

In many of these battles, the Swiss soldiers were the only difference between victory and defeat, and this didn't go unnoticed. In 1503, Pope Julius II officially requested a standing army of 200 Swiss soldiers, for which he would pay handsomely for.

© Getty Images

The founding of the Pontifical Guard -

Three years later, after a march from Switzerland to Rome that took nearly four months to complete, the small army of guardsmen arrived in Rome on September 26, 1506. This date is now considered the day that the Swiss Guard as we know it today was officially formed.

© Public Domain

The Sack of Rome -

Admittedly, the Swiss Guard hasn't seen a great amount of action in the seven centuries since their formation. They were, however, able to prove their loyalty to the Papal throne in 1527, when Rome was attacked by the mutinous soldiers of the Holy Roman Empire. The Sack of Rome is one of the city's darkest moments, and by the end of the belligerents' occupation, Rome's population had dropped from 55,000 to 10,000 residents.

© Public Domain

The Sack of Rome -

Although caught completely by surprise, by an army 20,000-strong, the 189 members of the Swiss Guard who were employed at the time were able to safely guide Pope Clement VII to safety and fend off their attackers. By the end, 147 guardsmen had died protecting the Pope, and not one had surrendered. This cemented the Pope's trust in the Swiss Guard for centuries to come, all the way to the present day.

© Getty Images

The smallest army in the world -

Even after the tragedy of 1527, the Swiss Guard has only slightly varied in size over the centuries, always employing around 200 guardsmen. Today, the Guard is keeping its numbers slim, with around 135 active soldiers in the Vatican.

© Getty Images

What exactly do they do all day? -

Since violent conflict doesn't really reach the Vatican these days, the role of the Swiss Guard is largely ceremonial, although they are still highly trained. Most days the guardsmen watch every entrance to the Vatican and its inner buildings, and occasionally accompany the Pope throughout the Vatican.

© Getty Images

Requirements for enlistment -

Enlistment requirements for the Swiss Guard have hardly changed over the centuries. Even today, only young men native to Switzerland between the ages of 19 and 30, more than 5’8” (174 cm) tall, are eligible for service. Even if you meet all of these requirements, if you're not a devoutly practicing Catholic, you can forget about it.

© Getty Images

Bachelors only -

Another requirement of eligibility is that only unmarried bachelors can serve in the Swiss Guard. Celibacy is usually practiced during the guardsmen's service.

© Getty Images

...except for Dominic and Joanne -

However, exceptions have been made. One such exception was made for Corporal Dominic and Joanne Bergamin, who were given permission to marry in 2014. Joanne serves as the first female Secretary to the Commander of the Swiss Guard, and runs an Instagram account detailing her life in the barracks.

© Shutterstock

Ceremony day -

Every year, a new class of halberdiers, later to become guardsmen, are sworn in on May 6, the anniversary of the Sack of Rome, as a symbol of the loyalty to the Pope that they are swearing into.

© Getty Images

A visit with the Pope -

After swearing in, each halberdier and his family are granted a very special meeting with the Pope himself. This is, predictably, a great honor for both the young guardsmen and their families.

© Getty Images

The uniform -

The colorful Swiss Guard uniforms are easily their most defining feature. While the bright colors and puffy pants might suggest the uniform has stayed the same since the Renaissance, the outfit in its current form was designed in the early 20th century. Granted, its designer, Jules Repond, was inspired by Renaissance-era styles.

© Getty Images

Today's heaviest armor -

As the world's smallest official military, and by far the most traditional, the Swiss Guard also wears the heaviest uniform of any modern army. In full dress, there are 154 components to the Swiss Guard uniform, totaling eight pounds (3.6 kilograms) of gear.

© Public Domain

What's up with all the colors? -

The Swiss Guard uniforms' most striking feature is, of course, the color scheme. The tricolor style of red, yellow, and blue, the colors of the famous Medici family, has been incorporated in varying degrees since the Renaissance era, indeed since the time of the Medici popes.

© Getty Images

Michelangelo had nothing to do with it -

Rumors have floated around since the formation of the Swiss Guard that Michelangelo, the master of the Renaissance himself, designed their outfits. While it remains unknown who did design the original 16th-century uniforms, it has been categorically proven that it wasn't Michelangelo. In truth, he was probably too busy working on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel around the same time.

© Getty Images

No souvenirs -

Although each and every Swiss Guard uniform, metal armor excluded, is hand-tailored within the walls of the Vatican for each guardsman, they don't get to hold onto their colors as a keepsake. When a member of the Swiss Guard completes his service, he must turn over his uniform, which is then destroyed.

© Getty Images

The Swiss halberd -

Keeping with tradition, Swiss Guardsmen on ceremonial duty are always armed with a halberd, a two-handed, pike-style weapon that has been used by Swiss soldiers since the days of the Swiss mercenaries.

© Getty Images

Special swords -

Ceremonial guardsmen are also usually equipped with ceremonial swords, with personalized hilts that indicate their rank.

© Getty Images

Armed to the teeth -

But, of course, not every duty of the Swiss Guard is ceremonial. They are very seriously in charge of keeping the Pope and the Holy See safe, and the plainclothes members of the Swiss Guard have always been equipped with the latest in firearms and modern tactical equipment.

© Getty Images

The Swiss Guard flag -

The flag of the Swiss Guard that we see today is complex, but deliberate. It consists of four quadrants, all containing red, separated by a white cross, paying homage to the Flag of Switzerland. The lower-right corner always contains the coat of arms of Pope Julius II, while the top left depicts the coat of arms of the family of the current pope, whoever that might be. The other two corners contain the colors of the Guard. Finally, in the center, is the coat of arms of the commander of the Swiss Guard.

© Getty Images

Honor duty -

Visitors to Vatican City will usually see members of the Swiss Guard in one of two equally stoic positions. The first, known as honor duty, can be recognized by the guardsmen brandishing their halberd. During honor duty, guardsmen won't speak, and shouldn't be approached.

© Getty Images

Guard duty -

On guard duty, however, when guardsmen are standing with their hands folded, they are available to answer any questions tourists might have, and even allow a photo or two if they're in the right mood.

© Getty Images

How's the pay? -

Like most other soldiers in most other armies, Swiss Guardsmen receive salaries that they are free to spend as they please. The pay is modest, but most men who enlist do so for spiritual reasons, not for financial gain like their mercenary predecessors.

© Getty Images

The Swiss Guard extracurriculars -

Being such a small group, all living in barracks together within the Vatican, the Swiss Guard form a tight-knit community. On their days off, they organize all sorts of activities, such as choirs and bands. One guardsman even wrote a cookbook!

© Getty Images

A gateway to the priesthood -

While members of the Swiss Guard are strictly soldiers and not in any way part of the clergy, after spending so much time in such a spiritual environment, and seeing the effect that their religion can have on so many people, many guardsmen leave their military service in favor of service to God.

Sources: (Catholic Outlook) (John Cabot University) (Aleteia)

See also: Discover the masterpiece that is the Vatican City

© Getty Images