An officer and 2 soldieres of the Guard of the Rock (Fortress Guard Corps) at the entrance to the Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) of San Marino
The Guard of the Rock (Italian: Guardia di Rocca) is a front-line military unit in the San Marino armed forces. Its precise origin is difficult to pinpoint due to amalgamations. Its role was last redefined by statute in 1987, and it probably came into being as a military branch in 1754; however, the unit also uses the name "Fortress Guards" which may be traced back to much earlier units of Sammarinese military. The Guard of the Rock are the state border patrol, with responsibility for patrolling borders and defending them. In their role as Fortress Guards they are also responsible for the guarding of the Palazzo Pubblico in San Marino City, which is the seat of national government. In this role, they are the forces most visible to tourists, and known for their colourful ceremony of Changing the Guard. Under the 1987 statute, the Guard of the Rock are all enrolled as 'Criminal Police Officers' (in addition to their military role) and act to assist the police in investigating major crime. For normal guard duties the uniform of the main (full-time) Fortress Guard Corps includes red trousers with a green stripe (two thinner gold stripes for officers), a double breasted green jacket (with red and white lanyard, red cuffs and collars, gold buttons, plain green epaulettes (for officers the epaulettes are gold, and there is a gold edge to the red cuffs), a black leather belt and a simple black kepi with a single red feather.
Size: 3840px × 5760px
Location: Palazzo Pubblico, Contrada del Pianello, 47890 City of San Marino, San Marino, Italy, Europ
Photo credit: © DE ROCKER / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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