Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
The cross-dressing teenager who rallied French soldiers to drive out English in-
vaders was the illiterate daughter of a humble farmer. One summer day, in her dad's
garden,13-year-oldJoanheardaheavenlyvoiceaccompaniedbybrightlight.Itwas
thefirstofseveral saints (including Michael, Margaret, andCatherine) totalk toher
during her short life.
In 1429, the young girl was instructed by the voices to save France from the
English. Dressed in men's clothing, she traveled to see the king and predicted that
the French armies would be defeated near Orléans—as they were. King Charles VII
equipped her with an ancient sword and a banner that read “Jesus, Maria,” and sent
her to rally the troops.
Soon “the Maid”
(la Pucelle)
was bivouacking amid rough soldiers, riding with
them into battle, and suffering an arrow wound to the chest—all while liberating
the town of Orléans. On July 17, 1429, she held her banner high in the cathedral of
Reims as Charles was officially proclaimed king of a resurgent France.
Joan and company next tried to retake Paris (1429), but the English held out.
Shesufferedacrossbowwoundthroughthethigh,andherreputationofinvincibility
was tarnished. During a battle at Compiègne (1430), she was captured and turned
over to the English for £10,000. The English took her to Rouen where she was
chained by the neck inside an iron cage, while the local French authorities (allied
with the English) plotted against her. The Inquisition—insisting that Joan's voices
were “false and diabolical”—tried and sentenced her to death for being a witch and
a heretic.
OnMay30,1431,JoanofArcwastiedtoastakeonRouen'soldmarketsquare
(Place du Vieux Marché). She yelled, “Rouen! Rouen! Must I die here?” Then they
lit the fire; she fixed her eyes on a crucifix and died chanting, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”
After herdeath, Joan'splace inhistory was slowly rehabilitated. French author-
ities proclaimed her trial illegal (1455), prominent writers and artists were inspired
by her, and the Catholic Church finally beatified (1909) and canonized her (1920)
as St. Joan of Arc.
To see the inner workings and an extraordinary panorama over Rouen (including a
stirringviewofthecathedral),climbtheclocktower's100steps.You'lltourseveralrooms
