Editing Military in Vatican City (section)

==Former corps==
===Palatine Guard (1850-1970)===
{{main| Palatine Guard}}
[[File:Garde palatine d'honneur Vatican.jpg|thumb|120px]]

The Palatine Guard ({{langx|it|Guardia Palatina d'Onore}}) was formed in 1850 by [[Pope Pius IX]], through amalgamation of two older units of the Papal Army. The corps was formed as an [[infantry]] unit. It saw active service during the token resistance to the [[capture of Rome|occupation of Rome]] by Italian government troops in 1870,<ref>"The Force of Destiny - a History of Italy since 1796", 978-0-713-99709-5</ref> and it survived into the period of the Vatican City State, as a ''de facto'' Vatican military unit (including a ceremonial military band) from 1929 to 1970.

In September 1943, when German troops occupied Rome in response to Italy's conclusion of an armistice with the Allies, the Palatine Guard was charged with protecting Vatican City, various Vatican properties in Rome, and the pope's summer villa at [[Castel Gandolfo]].  The guardsmen patrolled the walls, gardens, and courtyards of Vatican City, and stood guard at the entrances to papal buildings around Rome.  On more than one occasion this service resulted in violent confrontations with Italian fascist police units working with the German authorities to arrest political refugees who were hiding in buildings protected by the Vatican.<ref>''Fedeltà Palatina''. Rome: 1946. pp. 36, 125, 216-17</ref>  In September 1939, the Palatine Guard numbered 500 men; by the liberation of Rome in June 1944 the corps had grown to 2,000 men.

Later the Corps returned to its smaller size, and to chiefly ceremonial duties. It was abolished on 14 September 1970 by [[Pope Paul VI]].

===Noble Guard (1801-1970)===
{{main| Noble Guard}}
[[File:Garde noble vatican 1.jpg|thumb|120px]]

The Noble Guard ({{langx|it|Guardia Nobile}}) was formed in 1801 by [[Pope Pius VII]]. The regiment was formed as a [[heavy cavalry]] unit. It was part of the Pope's personal guard, providing a mounted escort for the Pope when he travelled in his carriage; it saw no active military engagements. The Guard performed special missions within the Papal States until their abolition, and then continued to function at the Vatican with a limited mounted escort role. It survived (no longer with horses) into the period of the Vatican City State, as a ''de facto'' Vatican military unit from 1929 to 1970.

During World War Two members of the unit mounted guard outside the papal apartments by night and day, and guardsmen armed with pistols provided [[close protection]] to [[Pope Pius XII]] when he took his daily walks in the Vatican Gardens.<ref>Alvarez,''The Pope's Soldiers'', p.337.</ref>

During its period as a Vatican City State military unit, the Noble Guard never numbered above 70 men, and apart from the wartime period it performed chiefly ceremonial duties. As its membership was drawn exclusively from families of noble origin (from nobility across Europe) it came to be seen as elitist, and it was abolished on 14 September 1970 by [[Pope Paul VI]].