- Palatine Guard
The Palatine Guard (Italian: "Guardia Palatina d'Onore") was a military unit of the Vatican. It was formed in 1850 by
Pope Pius IX , who ordered that the twomilitia units of thePapal States be amalgamated. The corps was formed as aninfantry unit, and took part in watch-keeping inRome as well as various battles, including the defence of Rome against soldiers fromPiedmont .After 1870 and the unification of
Italy , the corps was confined to the Vatican. The Palatine Guard were usually seen either when thePope was inSt Peter's Square , or when aHead of State visited the Vatican. Members of the corps were volunteers, who were not paid for their service (though they received an allowance for replacement or repair of their uniforms). The corps was also the only one in the service of the Vatican to have a fullmilitary band .The Second World War was a high point in the history of the Palatine Guard. In September 1943, when German troops occupied Rome in response to Italy's conclusion of an armistice with the Allies, the Guard was given the responsibility of protecting Vatican City, various Vatican properties in Rome, and the pope's summer villa at Castel Gandolfo. The guardsmen (mainly Roman shop keepers and office clerks) whose service had previously been limited to standing in ranks and presenting arms at ceremonial occasions, now found themselves patrolling the walls, gardens and courtyards of Vatican City and standing post at the entrances to papal buildings around the Eternal City. On more than one occasion this service resulted in violent confrontations with Italian Fascist police units working with the German authoritities to arrest political refugees who were hiding in buildings protected by the Vatican. ["Fedeltà Palatina". Rome: 1946. pp.36, 125, 216-17] At the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 the Palatine Guard mustered some 500 men, but by the liberation of Rome in June 1944 the corps had grown to 2000 men.
The corps was abolished in 1970 by
Pope Paul VI as part of the reforms of the Church following theSecond Vatican Council .ee also
*
Swiss Guard
*Noble Guard
*Papal Zouaves
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