The Stand of the Swiss Guard
The Swiss Guard today are known for their colorful outfits and patrols through the Vatican, where they serve as the Pope’s personal bodyguard. However, in the Middle Ages, they served a far more practical purpose: warring on the Holy See’s behalf. When Rome was Sacked by the Holy Roman Emperor, as part of his ongoing dispute with Pope Clement for meddling in Italian politics, the Swiss Guard were the ones tasked with holding back the overwhelming forces facing them. What followed was their most celebrated moment: the Stand of the Swiss Guard.
Joined by remnants of the Roman garrison, the Swiss made their stand in the Teutonic Cemetery within the Vatican. The Guard’s commander, Captain Röist was wounded early in the fighting, and later sought refuge in his house, where he was killed by Spanish soldiers in front of his wife. The Swiss fought bitterly, but were immensely outnumbered and almost annihilated. Some survivors, accompanied by a band of refugees, fell back to the Basilica steps. Those who went toward the Basilica were massacred, and only about forty survived. This group of forty managed to stave off the Holy Roman Emperor’s troops pursuing the Pope’s entourage as it fled, buying time for His Holiness to escape unharmed.
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