Swearing-in Ceremony of the Pontifical Swiss Guard

A five-century-old tradition

The Swearing-in Ceremony of the Pontifical Swiss Guard is one of the most defining events in the Vatican's ceremonial calendar and a highly anticipated highlight of the Roman spring. It traditionally takes place on May 6th in the Cortile di San Damaso of the Apostolic Palace within Vatican City. Although an independent state, the Vatican is an urban enclave entirely surrounded by the Municipality of Rome, in the Lazio region, making this event a staple of the city's cultural and tourist calendar. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony is moved to the Paul VI Audience Hall.

Why May 6th?

The date commemorates the Sack of Rome in 1527. On May 6th of that year, the troops of Charles V stormed the city, and 189 Swiss Guards stood their ground to allow Pope Clement VII to reach the safety of Castel Sant'Angelo via the Passetto di Borgo. Most of them fell in battle. Since then, that sacrifice has become the symbolic foundation of the oath of loyalty that every new recruit takes before the Pope.

How the ceremony unfolds

Recruits enter the courtyard to the beat of drums, wearing their gala uniforms complete with breastplate, feathered morion, and halberd, featuring the famous yellow, blue, and red striped livery codified in 1914. After the address by the Commander and the Corps Chaplain, the oath is read. Each guard then steps forward individually before the Corps' flag, grips the banner with their left hand, and raises their right hand with three fingers extended—symbolizing the Trinity—to state their name and pledge their faithful service to the Pope.

• Location: Cortile di San Damaso, Apostolic Palace (backup: Paul VI Audience Hall)
• Usual Time: 5:00 PM
• Eve: Mass in suffrage of those who fell in 1527 at St. Peter's Basilica and a wreath-laying ceremony
• Guests: Official delegation from the Swiss Confederation, recruits' families, Vatican authorities

Commemoration days

The swearing-in is not an isolated event but the culmination of two days. The eve and the morning of May 6th feature a Mass at St. Peter's Basilica celebrated by a high-ranking Curia prelate—in 2026 by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin—and a wreath-laying ceremony in memory of the guards who fell in 1527, along with an audience granted by the Pope to the Swiss delegation and the recruits' families.

Attending the ceremony

Access to the Cortile di San Damaso is by invitation only, prioritized for recruits' families, Swiss representatives, and institutional guests; there is no public ticket office. However, those in Rome can follow the live broadcast by Vatican media and soak up the atmosphere in the St. Peter's Square and Borgo area, where the presence of guards in full dress uniform and official delegations makes the atmosphere particularly evocative.

A piece of Switzerland in the heart of Rome

Founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II, the Pontifical Swiss Guard is the oldest military corps still in active service in the world. To enlist, one must be a Swiss citizen, Catholic, single at the time of entry, and have completed the Swiss Army recruit school. The May 6th oath is therefore also a gathering for the Swiss community in Italy, which converges on Rome every year: a centuries-old tradition that continues to renew itself in the geographical heart of the Capital and the Lazio region.