The Sack of Rome:
In 1527 they distinguised themselves by their heroic defence of Pope Clement VII in the conflict between Charles V and Francis I which was devastating all Europe. The Swiss Guards under its captain Kaspar Roist , from Zurich , barricaded itself of the forecourt of St.Peter’s and a fearful battle ensued between the 200 guards and the thousands of furious assailants . After a six –hour struggle ,only 42 guards survived . The survivors took the Pope to the nearby Castle San Angelo where they held out for a month before negotiating a surrender . Their bravery and fidelity earned them such admiration tht from that event onward they have never ceased to guard the Vicar of Christ and benefit from a special dispensation in the Swiss constitution of 1874 , which prohibits the enlistment of Swiss citizens in the forces of foreign powers.