The Vatican State and the Swiss Guard
General
· The Vatican State is a walled enclave in the city of Rome.
· It is about 0.44km2 and has a population of just over 800 persons, giving it a population density of 1877 persons per km2.
· The residents include priests, high dignitaries, the guards and of course, the Pope.
· The Vatican State was established on February 11 1929, when Pietro Gasparri signed the Lateran Treaty.
· The Lateran Treaty was an arrangement between the kingdom of Italy and the Holy See, recognizing the Vatican as an independent State.
· The name Vatican comes from the Latin Mons Vaticanus, one of the Seven Hills of Rome, where the Vatican stands.
· The Pope rules the Vatican; it is an absolute monarchy.
History
· Agrippina the Elder, a prominent Roman women, built her gardens on the hill where the Vatican stands today.
· Then Emperor Caligula had a circus built on the hill, which was then completed by Emperor Nero, giving the circus the name Circus Gaii et Neronis.
· Over time the Popes got to rule more territory, through the Papal States.
· At it’s peak, in 1859, the Papal States had a territory of 44.3 km2.
· In 1871 the power of the Pope was abolished, confining it to the Vatican and Lateran Palaces, and the villa of Castel Gandolfo.
· The Popes did not agree to this arrangement, and thus the Lateran Treaty was established.
In the Vatican
· The Vatican offers a variety of spectacular sights, such as St. Peter’s square.
· The square was laid out by Bernini.
· There are 284 columns, representing the “outstretched arms of the Church, embracing the world”, according to Bernini
· Other sights in the Vatican include the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
The Swiss Guard
· The Helvetians have always been known for their courage and loyality.
· About 15,000 Swiss men became mercenaries because poverty spread throughout the Alps.
· The mercenaries, did not use conventional warfare, they had no cavalry and little artillery
· Pope Julius II called 150 Swiss soldiers to Rome on the 22nd of January 1506; the Pontifical Swiss Guard.
· The Guards have to be single, Swiss, male, be at least 174cm tall, and have completed basic military training.
· The Swiss Guards have to make an oath to the Pope, declaring their loyalty, on the 26th of May, to commemorate the sacking of Rome in 1527.