Vatican Noble Guard and Palatine Guard, 1925 (colour litho)

The Noble Guard ( Guardia Nobile) was one of the volunteer household guard units serving the Pope; formed by Pope Pius VII in 1801 as the pope's personal guard; the Palatine Guard (Guardia Palatina d'Onore) was also a volunteer military unit protecting the Vatican, formed in 1850 by Pope Pius IX; both units abolished in 1970 by Pope Paul VI; from a series of illustrations of life in the Vatican, produced for the French market by Liebig as promotional trade cards; Liebig's meat extract, manufactured in Uruguay by Fray Bentos, became by the late 19th century a staple food in European homes and was extensively used in World War II;