Last Stand of the Swiss Guard: The 189
The Sack of Rome 1527 by Johannes Lingelbach
The Sack of Rome
On May 6th of 1527, an army of 34,000 mercenaries descended upon the city of Rome. The army had served the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, but they had not been paid what they were owed. They mutinied against their commander, Charles de Bourbon, and forced him to lead the army on a mission to pillage Rome.
The city was sparsely garrisoned, with only 5,000 militiamen and a small number of Swiss Guard to defend the walls. They fought fiercely against the onslaught, as this was their city, families, and property they were defending. Alas, they were quickly overwhelmed and the mercenaries poured into the city. Charles de Bourbon was killed in the assault, and with little to no remaining leadership the army did not hold back in their pillaging and destruction.
Last Stand of the Swiss Guard
After the walls fell, the remaining Swiss Guard decided to hold their ground at the Teutonic Cemetery within the Vatican. As the mercenaries rushed into the city they clashed with the Swiss Guard in hand-to-hand combat. The 189 men fought defiantly in what became known as the Last Stand of the Swiss Guard.
The Swiss Captain was killed early on in the fighting but they did not waver. Hopelessly outnumbered, the unit was pushed back to the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica alongside a band of refugees. They were completely overwhelmed, with only 42 men surviving to fall back. To buy =’time for the Pope to escape they held off the mercenaries at the Passetto di Borgo. At the other end of the bridge was a small fortress where the Pope could take refuge called Castel St Angelo. Here the remaining Swiss Guard fell, fighting to the last man.
Aftermath
This battle showcased the differing moral standpoints of mercenaries in the 16th century. The mercenary army that attacked Rome were looking to loot and pillage for personal gain. They didn’t care about the damage they were doing by attacking a cultural center like Rome, or by taking from the citizens of the city. The Swiss Guard on the other hand fought not for personal gain, but to fulfill their duty. Even when their captain fell, they stayed committing to defending the Pope.
Pope Clement VII survived because of their efforts, and was forced to pay a large ransom in exchange for his life. The Vatican still maintains a standing Swiss Guard to this day, mostly for ceremonial purposes. This marked a continental power shift from the Pope towards the Holy Roman Empire. The event was made into an awesome song by the Swedish metal band Sabaton.