The Pontifical Swiss Guard has announced preparations to mark the 500th anniversary of the Sack of Rome, when 147 Guards sacrificed themselves to ensure the escape of Pope Clement VII. The Swiss Guard said the commemoration aimed to encourage recruitment and demonstrate that the “values of that time are still present today”.
In 1527, a mutinous army of Emperor Charles V disobeyed orders not to attack Rome. The troops invaded the city before ransacking it. All but 42 Swiss Guards, who escorted the Pope to Castel Sant'Angelo, were annihilated while holding off the army.
