The Last Stand of the
Swiss Guard
By Evan Wing
ay 6, 1527: Lutheran mercenaries of the Holy Roman Empire, having
mutinied against their Emperor and pillaged their way across much of northern Italy, arrive at the city of Rome.
At the time, the city had almost no defenses; the ancient walls were in disrepair, and Pope Clement VII's call to arms was answered by only 500 men of the city. Ill-equipped and barely trained, these irregulars were quickly swept aside by the tens of thousands of troops entering the Eternal City. The invaders cut a path right to Saint Peter's Basilica, where they suddenly were stopped by a wall of glistening pikes.
The Pontifical Swiss Guard had been called out.
Of the 189 Swiss Guards, a detachment of 42 guardsmen was at that very moment escorting the Pope to the safety of Castel Sant'Angelo along a secret underground passageway. The remainder, under Captain Kaspar Röist, made their stand near the Teutonic College next to the Basilica - less than 150 Swiss against 20,000 Germans and Spaniards.
What should have been a quick victory for the Protestants turned into a disastrous all-day engagement. Wave after wave of Lutheran troops rushed the stoic Swiss, only to be driven back time and time again.
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