Papal Swiss Guards
Members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard at the Bronze Door in Vatican City.
Swiss Guards is the name given to the Swiss soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. In contemporary usage, it refers to the Pontifical Swiss Guard of Vatican City.
The Papal Swiss Guardin the Vatican was founded in 1506 and is the only Swiss Guard that still exists.
© Istvan Kadar Photography