Swiss Guards

For the guards stationed at the Vatican, see Swiss Guard.
For the history of Swiss infantry serving in foreign armies, see Swiss Mercenaries.

Soldier and officer of the Gardes Suisses in French service in 1757

Swiss Guards (French: Gardes Suisses; German: Schweizergarde; Italian: Guardie Svizzere) are Swiss soldiers who have served as guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century.

The earliest Swiss Guard unit to be established on a permanent basis was the Hundred Swiss (Cent-Suisses), which served at the French court from 1490 to 1817. This small force was complemented in 1616 by a Swiss Guards regiment. In the 18th and early 19th centuries several other Swiss Guard units existed for periods in various European courts.

Foreign military service was outlawed by the first Swiss Federal Constitution of 1848 and a federal Law of 1859, with the only exception being the Pontifical Swiss Guard (Latin: Pontificia Cohors Helvetica, Cohors Pedestris Helvetiorum a Sacra Custodia Pontificis; Italian: Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) stationed in Vatican City. The modern Papal Swiss Guard serves as both a ceremonial unit and a bodyguard. Established in 1506, it is one of the oldest military units in the world. It is also the smallest army in the world.[1]

  1. ^ Cutler, Nellie (2011). "Italy, Malta, San Marino, and Vatican City". TIME for Kids World Atlas (Rev. and updated ed.). New York, NY. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-60320-884-0. {{cite book}}: |magazine= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)