Officially the Vatican has 4 security/police services, the Swiss 
Guards, the Palatine Guards, the Noble Guards, and the Papal 
Gendarmes. The first two are responsible for the pope's and 
Vatican's security.
XIII. THE POLICING OF THE VATICAN
There is within the Vatican a well-organized service of police and 
guards. Military and police bodies protect persons and property, 
and the fire department prevents damage from fire. The special 
military guardians of the palace are the Swiss Guards; entrusted 
with the specifically police duties are the gendarmes. The Palatine 
Guards are rather a guard of honour, and the Noble Guard a 
mounted bodyguard with very limited service. The fire brigade is 
formed by the Guardie del Fuoco. In view of the peculiar political 
position of the pope in Rome, the careful guarding of the Vatican 
presents special difficulties; but, despite the objectionable attitude 
of the Italian police commissioners in the Borgo, few contretemps 
are to be complained of. For among the great throngs to the papal 
assemblages there are always some ready to seize the opportunity 
to create a disturbance, if the slightest pretext offers itself. 
A. The Swiss Guards 
The commander of the Swiss has the rank of a colonel of the 
regular troops and is addressed with this title. The other officers, 
therefore, have a rank three grades higher than their name 
indicates, and all the guards without exception possess the rank of 
sergeant in the regular troops. The quartermaster acts also as 
secretary of the commanding officer and as ordnance officer. The 
corps has its special chaplain and chapel, SS. Martino e 
Sebastiano, built by Pius V in 1568. Every candidate for the 
Guards must be a native Swiss, a Catholic, of legitimate birth, 
unmarried, under twenty-five years of age, at least five feet and 
eight inches in height, healthy, and free from bodily 
disfigurements. Whoever is not eligible for military service in 
Switzerland, is likewise refused admission into the Guards. The 
following papers are required: a certificate from his home (or a 
pass), baptismal certificate, and testimonial as to character, all 
signed by the authorities of his parish. After a year of good 
conduct the cost of the journey to Rome is refunded; this refund 
may, however, be paid in instalments after a period of seven 
months. Applications for admission are to be addressed directly to 
the commanding officer. Those who wish to retire from the Guards 
may freely do so after giving three months' notice. After eighteen 
years' service each member of the Guards is entitled to a pension 
for life amounting to one-half of his pay, after twenty years to a 
pension amounting to two-thirds of his pay, after twenty-five years 
to five-sixths of his pay, and after thirty years to his full pay. 
The duties of the Guards are as follows: They are responsible for 
the guarding of the sacred person of the pope and the protection of 
the Apostolic Palaces, all exits from the palace to the city and the 
entrance doors to the papal apartments being entrusted to their 
charge. They have also to take up their position in all pontifical 
functions in the papal chapels and in all other religious functions 
both within and without the Apostolic Palaces (the latter are now 
confined to St. Peter's) at which the pope assists. They have also 
other duties regulated by ancient traditions or more recent decrees. 
In addition, they have to appear for service at the order of the 
prefect of the Apostolic Palaces (the majordomo) and the maestro 
di camera. The religious privileges of the guards are very 
extensive. In all public processions the Swiss Guards take their 
place immediately behind the Noble Guard. As guards they are 
subject to the prefect of the Apostolic Palaces and were not in 
earlier times subject, like the regular troops, to the Ministry of 
War. When the pope occupies the sedia gestatoria, he is 
surrounded by six of the Swiss Guards, who carry the large swords 
known as "double-handed". The commander (colonel) of the 
Guards is an ex-officio privy chamberlain, and has the entree into 
the Anticamera Segreta; the lieutenant (major) and the 
sublieutenant (captain of the first class) are ex officio honorary 
chamberlains, and have the entree only to the Throne Room, which 
lies before the Anticamera Segreta. The Swiss Guards are fully 
armed, and have to submit to a strict course of exercises and 
gymnastics. Football is zealously cultivated by them in the Cortile 
del Belvedere, and their trumpet corps is splendidly organized. On 
solemn occasions, such as special functions in the German 
Cemetery near St. Peter's (Campo Santo Teutonico), which is also 
the burial-place for the Guards, the trumpet corps appears in 
public. 
Even in the fifteenth century the popes possessed a body-guard of 
the Catholic Swiss. In 1505, at the instance of the Swiss Cardinal 
Schinner, a treaty was made by Julius II with the two cantons of 
Zurich and Lucerne, in accordance with which these cantons had to 
supply constantly 250 men as a body-guard to the pope. Since this 
date there has always been about the pope a corps of Swiss Guards 
(cf. Baumgarten, "Katholische Kirche unserer Zeit", I 297 sqq.; 
"Kirchliche Handlexikon", s.v. "Schweizergarde"). At present the 
Guards possess a strength of exactly 100 men (including the six 
officers), who suffice not alone for the complete discharge of the 
various duties of the corps but also for the maintenance of a watch 
(formerly essentially more strict and extensive) over the pope 
during the night. Their old picturesque uniform of black, red, and 
yellow, in sixteenth-century style, is still retained. A black hat with 
red strings has recently replaced the very ugly helmet. While 
exercising, on night watch, or in barracks, the men wear a steel-
blue undress uniform, consisting of wider tunic, knee-breeches, 
dark-blue stockings, and laced boots, but while on guard duty they 
wear dark-yellow stockings and buckled shoes. On especially 
solemn occasions both men and officers appear in military uniform 
with weapons and helmets. The barracks of the Guards lies at the 
foot of the Palace of Sixtus V. A portion of the building was 
erected in 1492 during the reign of Alexander VI. The canteen of 
the Guards furnishes them with their board. The religious 
privileges of the Guards are very extensive and their regulation 
pertains to their chaplain who consults the Holy Father in this 
regard. The care of their other privileges appertains to their 
commander. 
B. The Papal Gendarmes 
The corps of Gendarmes of the Apostolic Palaces consists of 
Italians, who must measure at least five feet nine inches, have 
completed an entirely unobjectionable period of service in the 
Italian army, and have secured good certificates of character from 
both the secular and religious authorities. Upon them devolves the 
policing of the palace and the gardens, and they are also employed 
in the honorary service of the Anticamera. They have a barracks in 
the gardens and another near the quarters of the Swiss Guards. 
Like the Swiss Guards, they also have a music corps, which gives 
a concert on feasts in the Cortile di S. Damaso. The gendarmes are 
subject to the Prefect of the Apostolic Palaces; their commander 
has the court rank of honorary chamberlain and bears the official 
title of "Delegato per i servizi di Sicurezza e Polizia". The corps 
musters 62 men. 
C. The Guardia d'Onore 
The Palatine Guard, as it exists to-day, extends back to Pius IX. In 
the Regolamento of 14 December, 1850, he decreed that the two 
bodies of militia, the civici scelti and the capotori, should be united 
into one body under the new name of the Guardia Palatina 
d'Onore. In 1860 this guard was increased and placed on the 
footing of a regiment of 748 men with 2 battalions and 8 
companies. Before 1870 the services of this regiment were not 
confined to the palace, watch-duties in the city and military 
operations in war being assigned them. After 1870 the regimental 
band of 63 men was disbanded, and the corps greatly diminished. 
The lieutenant-colonel in command has the rank of colonel. As 
distinguished from the Swiss Guards, who are appointed for the 
guarding of the pope's person, the Palatine Guard perform such 
duties in the papal service as are detailed in the directions of the 
majordomo and the maestro di camera. All the members of the 
corps are Roman citizens; they perform their few duties gratis, but 
receive 80 lire annually for their uniforms. During the conclave a 
company of the Palatine Guard is stationed in the Cortile del 
Maresciallo under the command of the hereditary Marshal of the 
Conclave, Prince Chigi. 
D. The Guardia Nobile 
This most distinguished corps of the papal military service has an 
interesting history. The mounted guard of the popes was formerly 
formed of the corps of cavalleggieri (light cavalry). By Motu 
Proprio of 1744 Benedict XIV gave these mounted guards a new 
organization, fixing their number at 90. After the disbanding of 
these troops during the confusion of the French Revolution, Pius 
VII formed a new body-guard composed of the remainder of the 
cavalleggieri and the old cavaliers delle lancie spezzate. A Decree 
of 11 May, 1801, ordered the institution of the Noble Guard 
(guardie nobili di corpo), the Spanish noble guards being taken as 
the model. The political revolutions under Napoleon I prevented 
the proper formation of the new corps, so that the reorganization 
effected by warrant of the Cardinal-Secretary of State, Ercole 
Consalvi, of 8 November, 1815, was found necessary. The petition 
of Count Giovanni Mastai Ferretti (afterwards Pius IX) for 
admission into the Guards (26 June, 1814), which was rejected on 
account of his weak health, is still preserved in the archives of the 
Noble Guard. Leo XIII amalgamated the existing two companies 
and in accordance with the changed conditions of the time, gave 
them new regulations, and declared that the corps should consist of 
1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 sublieutenant, 8 lance-corporals, I lance-
corporal as corps adjutant, 8 cadets, 1 cadet as adjutant, 48 guards, 
1 quarter-master, 1 equerry, 1 armourer, 1 master of ordnance, and 
4 trumpeters. The whole corps thus numbered 77 men. The captain 
ranks as a lieutenant-general of regulars, and the other grades 
accordingly. One-third of the simple members of the corps enjoy 
the rank of captain, one-third that of lieutenant, and the remaining 
third that of sublieutenant. 
In place of the earlier cabinet couriers, the Noble Guards have the 
exclusive right of conveying the tidings of their elevation to the 
"crown cardinals" in Catholic lands, as well as to nuncios of the 
first class when raised to the cardinalate, and also of bringing to 
their residences the red hat. Conditions for reception into the corps 
are as follows: age, 21-25; testimonial as to good character from 
the parish-priest, bishop, or other ecclesiastical authorities; 60 
years line of a nobility recognized in the Papal States, with the 
same tests as in the Order of Malta; height, at least five feet and 
seven inches; and perfect bodily health. The post of commander 
lies at the free disposal of the pope, and is always entrusted to a 
Roman prince. Otherwise promotion is regulated exclusively by 
length of service. The Noble Guard makes its appearance in public 
only when the pope takes part in a public function; when the pope 
withdraws, he is followed by the Noble Guard. During a vacancy 
of the Holy See, the corps stands at the service of the College of 
Cardinals. The Gonfaloniere, or standard-bearer, of the Holy 
Roman Church, with the rank of lieutenant general, has the right of 
wearing the uniform of the Noble Guard. (Cf. Baumgarten, 
"Kathol. Kirche unserer Zeit", I, 290-93.) 
E. The Guardie dei Fuoco 
The Vatican fire-brigade, which is organized according to the most 
modern methods, is employed also for other duties, since they are 
rarely needed on their main duty. The brigade possesses no special 
features.