Members of the Swiss Guards

See also: Swiss (homonymy)

In 1497, the king Charles VIII created the company of the Members of the Swiss Guards guard. It was about the first permanent Swiss unit to the service of a foreign sovereign, body of parade rather than military. It belonged to the military household of the king. It was removed in 1792 by the National Assembly, was restored in 1814 by Louis XVIII and remained until in 1830.

The Members of the Swiss Guards were used as model with creation in 1579 of a unit comparable with the service of the Savoy then Royaume of Piedmont-Sardinia, dissolved in 1798. One still found of the Members of the Swiss Guards in Toscane, Austria (1745]), or in Brandebourg (1696 - 1713). The pontifical Swiss Guard, created in 1506, belonged to this tradition.

Organization

The guard was ordered by a Swiss captain with two lieutenants under its orders (Switzerland and a French). At the time of the Sacring, the captain and his officers were vêtus of white Satin with money fabric in the Entaillure S, the soldiers carried helmets of Velours. The militia enjoyed the same privileges as the subjects born in the kingdom, of which the exemption of imposition for the guard and its family, even in the event of death.

At the time of the parades, the militia with 100 men was presented as follows:

  • the captain

  • the two lieutenants
  • the first sergeant
  • four Traban S (Halberdier S) for the defense of the captain
  • the corporals
  • the Anspessade S (rank lower than the corporal)
  • the Drum S
  • the Musketeer S
  • two trabans for the defense of the sign
  • two drums
  • the Sign
  • the Piquier S
  • musketeers of the second walk
  • second lieutenants at the end of the company
  • of the sergeants on the sides

general Colonels of the Members of the Swiss Guards and Grisons

References

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