Last modified: 2007-09-08 by dov gutterman
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Part I (precedent page)
Part II (this page):
See also:
Here are the Pontifical Swiss Guard colors for Popes Pius IX (obverse and reverse), Pius X, and John Paul II. I
photographed them about 1984 during a personal tour of the Swiss
Guard barracks. At that time, as you can see, the
current Swiss Guard flag was displayed in the Captain Commander's
office against the wall. It is paraded for the annual
swearing-in ceremony of new recruits each May, and perhaps a few
other occasions. On Vatican flag-flying days it is
displayed inside the "Bronze Doors," which lead from
St. Peter's Square to the Apostolic Palace via Cortile San
Damaso. With the death of John Paul II, it will now
have to be replaced by a flag bearing the arms of the new pope.
Rev. William M. Becker, 4 April 2005
Arms of Pius X (together with the arms of Julius II) were part
of the Swiss Guard's arms for the 400th anniversary in 1906. See
<www.schweizergarde.info>.
James Dignan, 26 April 2005
The other arms are the arms of Pope Julius II, who founded the
Swiss Guard in 1505. See <members.tripod.com>
located by António.
Santiago Dotor, 25 April 2005
The terrible Giuliano Della Rovere (1443-1513, Pope Julius II
in 1503) was more a warlord than a church man. He was elected
after the shortest conclave ever, in less than one day, after
having bought his election (which was admitted at that time).
Julius II reestablished the political power of the
papacy in Italy and set up the Cambrai League against Venice in
1508, then the Holy League against France (1511-1512). His
attempt of reforming the church during the Vth Council of Latran
(1512) was not successful. Julius II was a patron and appointed
the architect Bramante (1444-1514), who designed the Belvedere
Courtyard and started the St. Peter's Basilica (1505); the
painter, architect and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarotti
(1475-1564), who made for the Pope's grave the two slaves
(1513-1516) kept today in the Louvre Museum in Paris; and the
painter Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520), who painted frescos in the
"rooms" of the Vatican and a famous portrait of the
Pope, kept today in the Offici Museum in Florence.
The Della Rovere family is a famous Italian family. The movie
director Roberto Rossellini (1906-1977) portrayed a descendant of
the family member of the anti-fascist resistance and killed by
the German forces in the movie "Il Generale Della
Rovere" (1959). The name of Rovere recalls the oak,
therefore the canting arms of the family. The Latin classical
word "robur" evolved to "roborem", and gave
the Provencal word '"rover" and the French words
"roure" and "robre", today
"rouvre". However, botanists, as usual, complicated the
situation, and it seems that "Quercus robur" is now the
pedunculated oak ("chene pédonculé"), whereas the
"chene rouvre" has been reallocated to species "Q.
petrae". The roots "roure" and "rouvre"
have given several toponyms in France (Roure, Le Rouret, Rouvray,
Grosrouvre...).
Ivan Sache, 28 April 2005
Flags has never existed. Pius X had completely rejected the
flag draft. Repond presented the draft of the new flag design
already in the year1912 . The pope Pius X was not open to the new
ideas.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 June 2005
I believe there is an error in this contribution regarding the
first version of Swiss Guard current flag design.
António Martins-Tuválkin states that Pope Pius X
opposed the new (current) design sponsored by Commander Jules
Repond, and would not authorize it. But according to my sources,
that is not correct. The current version of the Swiss Guard flag
was approved in the last year of the pontificate of Pius X,
namely on November 1, 1913, by the Secretariat of State. It was
designed by Robert Durrer, a Swiss archivist, and sponsored by
Commander Jules Repond. The flag was produced by a
Swiss convent, and was blessed by Pius X on May 5, 1914, in time
for use at the traditional swearing-in of new recruits the next
day. Pius died a few months later. (Cf. Robert Walpen, La Guardia
Svizzera Pontificia. Acriter et fideliter. Coraggio e
fedeltà. Second Edition. Locarno, Switzerland:
Armando Dadò, 2005, p. 112-114. Walpen reproduces
Durrer's original sketch of the flag, and the note authorizing
its use from the Secretariat of State.)
Here is an actual photo of
this first version of the current Swiss Guard flag, from the
pontificate of Pius X. It was published in: "Die
neue Fahne der Schweizergarde," Archives Héraldiques
Suisses / Schweizerisches Archiv für Heraldik, vol. 28, no. 4
(Zürich: Imprimérie Schulthess & Co., 1914), p. 205-206
& Plate 5.
Rev. William M. Becker, STD, 13 July 2007
1913-1914
Rejected - With the Arms of Guard Commandant Jules Repond
image by Jens Pattke, 19 February 2006
Upper hoist: arms of Pius X; Center:
Jules Repond, on black-white background (for Fribourg
/ Freiburg).
Source: <www.schweizergarde.info>.
Jens Pattke, 19 February 2006
1914-1921
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Jules Repond
image by Jens Pattke, 19 February 2006
Upper hoist: arms of Benedictus
XV; Center: Jules Repond, on black-white background
(for Fribourg / Freiburg).
Source: re-construction.
Jens Pattke, 19 February 2006
1921-1922
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Alois Hirschbühl
image by Jens Pattke, 25 August 2007
Here is a photo of the
Swiss Guards flag from the reign of Benedict XV, who followed
Pius X, appeared in L'Illustrazione Vaticana, no. 11/1932
(attached). Benedict's arms were simply painted over
those of Pius X, which was a common practice in past
centuries. (cf. Vincenz
Oertle. "'… aux couleurs du pape régnant'
– Die Fahne der Päpstlichen Schweizergarde,"
Zeitschrift für Heereskunde, number 419 [January/March 2006], p.
1-6.)
Rev. William M. Becker, STD, 13 July 2007
Upper hoist: arms of Benedictus XV. Center: arms of Alois
Hirschbühl, on black-white-blue background (for Graubünden/Grischun).
Jens Pattke, 25 August 2007
1922-1935
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Alois Hirschbühl
image by Jens Pattke, 25 August 2007
Upper hoist: arms of Pius XI. Center: arms of Alois
Hirschbühl, on black-white-blue background (for Graubünden/Grischun).
Jens Pattke, 25 August 2007
1935-1939
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Georg von Sury d'Aspremont
image by Jens Pattke, 20 February 2006
upper hoist: arms of Pius XI center: arms of Georg von Sury
d'Aspremont, on red- white background (for Solothurn).
Jens Pattke, 20 February 2006
1939-1942
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Georg von Sury d'Aspremont
image by Jens Pattke, 20 February 2006
Upper hoist: arms of Pius XII. Center: arms of Georg von Sury
d'Aspremont, on red- white background (for Solothurn).
Jens Pattke, 20 February 2006
1942-1957
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Heinrich Pfyffer von Altishofen
image by Jens Pattke, 20 February 2006
Upper hoist: arms of Pius XII. Center: arms of Heinrich
Pfyffer von Altishofen, on white-blue background (for Luzern).
Source: <www.chateau-de-penthes.ch>,
Jens Pattke, 20 February 2006
1957-1958
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Robert Nünlist
image by Jens Pattke, 23 January 2006
Upper hoist: arms of Pius XII. Center: arms of Robert
Nünlist, on white-blue background (for Luzern).
Source: <www.schweizergarde.info>.
Jens Pattke, 23 January 2006
1958-1963
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Robert Nünlist
image by Jens Pattke, 23 January 2006
Upper hoist: arms of John XXIII. Center: arms of Robert
Nünlist, on white-blue background (for Luzern).
Source: <www.schweizergarde.info>.
Jens Pattke, 23 January 2006
1963-1972
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Robert Nünlist
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 12 June 2005
At <www.schweizergarde.info>
this one is shown at the bottom (at the top of the page the
2002-2005 flag is shown). Not the differences in the tiara and at
the tips of the estole, with red instead of the current golden.
(Perhaps this was changed at the same time as the wreath around
the central area?).
António Martins-Tuválkin, 12 June 2005
1972-1978
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Franz Pfyffer von
Altishofen
image by Jens Pattke, 26 August 2007
Upper hoist: arms of Paul VI. Center: arms of Franz Pfyffer
von Altishofen, on white-blue background (for Luzern).
Jens Pattke, 26 August 2007
1978
Unconfirmed !!!
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Franz Pfyffer von Altishofen
image by Jens Pattke, 11 June 2005
The usage of this flag of the Swiss Guard in 1978 is insecure.
The pope John Paul I was only few days in the office. (26 August
1978 - 28 September 1978). I found no sources or photos about
this flag.
Jens Pattke, 11 June 2005
Since the appointment of a new pope is a "surprise",
the flags cannot be prepared beforehand. If this flag even
existed, the process was quite fast.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 11 June 2005
The appointment of the new pope is a "surprise". But
the Pope John Paul I already had an official coat of arms. The
coat of arms was also illustrated on postage stamps of Vatican.
With this fact was possible in theory new Guard flag. The use is
not to be proved.
Jens Pattke, 12 June 2005
1978-1982
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Franz Pfyffer von
Altishofen
image by Jens Pattke, 26 August 2007
Upper hoist: arms of John Paul II. Center: arms of Franz
Pfyffer von Altishofen, on white-blue background (for Luzern).
Jens Pattke, 26 August 2007
1982-1997
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Roland Buchs-Binz
(1982-1997)
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 7 June 2005
The Vatican Swiss Guard regimental flag used during (part of)
John Paul II's reign, under the command of a previous colonel.
This flag differs from the (later) one we display above in the
central disc, matching a different Commander Colonel: The
background is black over white, for Fribourg
canton, and the colonel's personal arms are diferent. There are
also rendering diferences for the wreath ornament.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 7 June 2005
1997-1998 (not in official use)
Not in official use
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Alois Estermann
image by Jens Pattke, 11 June 2005
The commander Alois Estermann was a interim-commander
colonel since November 1997. Before the day of his
murder, in May 4 1998, there was already a new flag of the Swiss
Guard. It had been already produced but not presented yet
officially. Also the flag was not consecrated yet by a cardinal
or the pope John Paul II. However, the new badge of comm. Colonel
Alois Estermann was already known to the public (See: Flag
Bulletin No. 187 (1999) ; pp. 89-105). On the 5th May, 1997 the
official job was taken over by the already resigned commander
Roland Bush-Binz. During the next day, the sacco di Roma
1998, the old Swiss Guard flag with the badge of Col.
Bush-Binz was used.
Jens Pattke, 11 June 2005
1998-2002
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Pius Segmüller
image by Jens Pattke, 23 January 2006
Upper hoist: arms of John Paul II. Center: Pius Segmüller, on
green-white background (for Sankt Gallen).
Source: <www.schweizergarde.info>.
Jens Pattke, 23 January 2006
2002-2005
With the Arms of Guard Commandant Elmar Theodor Mäder
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 25 April 2005
A very detailed image (and
its detail) of Swiss Guard
colors for John Paul II at <www.schweizergarde.info>,
reported by Rev. William M. Becker.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 20 April 2005
The upper hoist shows the J.P.II
arms, with the shield in the typical italian capo di
cavallo (horse head) shield shape and oversized keys. The
central arms are set on a green and white vertical bicolor disc
area, encircled in a stylized symmetrical wreath of 20 green
leaves: Ogival shield sable and or per fess a six pointed star of
the latter in dexter chief overall a scythe proper per
counter-bend. Closed helm with panache.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 25 April 2005
The other arms are the arms of Pope Julius II, who founded the
Swiss Guard in 1505. See <members.tripod.com>
located by António.
Santiago Dotor, 25 April 2005
It seems that in the photo
that we have, central arms seems to be Alois Estermann's and
papal arms Paulus VI's, which is anachronical. Can somebody
identify it?
António Martins-Tuválkin, 20 September 2005
I "examined" it and it seems to me like a very
strange Jonh XIII/Robert Nünlist flag. The Pope's arms, in
chief, have the St. Mark's Lion in gold above a black field (the
field was supposed to be white! none of the Popes which used the
former Diocese's simbol in the coat of arms, ussually former
archbishops of Milan or Patriarches of Venice, has a black
field). As for the St. Mark's Lion, for me, seems the right
choice (Milan's eagle is black above gold, and Paul VI didn't
used it).
The coat of arms seems like Jonh XXIII (the turret in the
middle), but the colours are also changed: the upper and lower
stripes are red, and the middle one, silver.
But there's a curiouse note: the foto is taken for behind the
flag (look at the feet of the guard), so the changes could be
explained as the Swiss' Flags, as the Papal Tapestries, are
hand-maded. sometimes, the crosslining can do this chages at the
backyard...
Bruno F. C. Alexandre, 23 January 2007
