Blacksmiths craft new armour for Vatican Swiss Guard - PHOTOS

Schmiede Schmidberger blacksmiths craft armour for the Vatican Swiss Guard in Molln, Austria. The Vatican has contracted Schmiede Schmidberger to manufacture 80 new sets of armour in a project that will take 7 years to complete. Most of the existing armour worn by the Swiss Guard dates back at least 100 years, when people were generally smaller than they are today, hence the existing armour does not fit today's bulkier guards. Schmiede Schmidberger is a family-run operation that has been in existence since the year 1350. (All pictures courtesy Getty Images)