Their uniform is easily recognizable and unique, and they are known for being part of the smallest army in the world. The Pontifical Swiss Guard has lived in the barracks located next to the entrance of St. Anne’s Gate, just within the Vatican walls, since 1929, when the Lateran Pacts were signed.
Having just finished renovations on the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace before Pope Leo moves in, the Vatican will now turn to building new barracks for the papal guards.
The Holy See has already granted the necessary permission for the work to begin.
The new barracks will have five floors instead of the current three and will include 81 single rooms, 18 double rooms, and 21 family apartments. In these images, you can see what the final result will look like after the renovations have been completed.
The new renovations will allow all the Swiss Guards to live inside the barracks, since many of the guards currently reside outside the Vatican due to lack of housing space.
Approval for the large renovation project was required because the Vatican is marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
JEAN-PIERRE ROTH
Swiss Guard Barracks Restoration Foundation
The current building dates back to the 19th century and was constructed using the techniques of that time. All of that needs to be renovated—or even rebuilt.
This renovation is being overseen by the Swiss Guard Foundation. It is currently working to secure investors to finance the project, which is expected to cost around 72 million euros.
So far, about 49 million euros have already been raised through various donations.
