The Swiss Guards are celebrating more than 500 years since their founding by releasing the first of a series of videos documenting their life and work.
The 22nd of January marks the 513th anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Guards, who work to protect the Pope, and will also see them put on their new 3D printed plastic helmets for the first time.
The video series is entitled “1506 – the Swiss Guard story” and the first clip shows the guards welcoming the president of Switzerland on a visit to the Vatican.
The anniversary will also be celebrated with Mass in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy in the Teutonic Cemetery, inside the Vatican, and a march through St Peter’s Square. This marks the arrival of the first Swiss mercenaries in the same square on the 22nd January 1506.
Swiss Guards must be male Swiss citizens, practising Catholics, and have already completed military service.They are also required to be between the ages of 19 and 30, at least 174cm (5 ft 8.5 in) tall, and “of good moral ethical background.” Those admitted to serve must do so for a minimum two years with the possibility of extension. Guards must be unmarried unless they are at least 25 years of age, have served for at least three years, and can commit to being in the guards for another three.
Renowned for their colourful striped uniform which dates back to medieval times, the guards came to Rome at the request of Pope Julius II. The new new plastic helmets are a recent upgrade of their kit: designed by a Swiss engineer they were unveiled earlier this year to replace they old metal headgear.
A new clip about the guards will be released every month, and previous video released by them has attracted nearly 300,000 views on YouTube. Check back to The Tablet’s website to see the videos as they are published.
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