When Joan of Arc (1412-1431) or in French Jeanne D'Arc, was a child the territory where she lived— Domremy-la -Pucell — like much of France, was under the control of the English. The future king of France was somewhat in doubt of his claim to the throne, as was his mother who doubted his legitimacy. Even his close advisors were skeptical. This unstable period known as the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) was marked by constant warfare between France and England. Due to her persistence, Joan, who heard voices from God telling her to save France, was granted a visit with the future king. Upon entering the room it is said she was able to locate him, unmarked, among his courtiers. How remarkable that a young woman of 17 would not only have the conviction that Charles must be crowned king, but had the passion, determination and some might say, delusional courage, to cut her hair, don armor, lead men into battle, and regain the city of Orléans. Through stubborn diplomacy, and as an inspiring leader in battle, she paved the way for Charles to be crowned King Charles VII at Reims (pronounced raanz). While Charles VII successfully claimed the throne, Joan was captured by the British and unjustly burned at the stake as a heretic.

The infamous trial of Jeanne d'Arc illustrates the precarious position of women who defied the expectations of their place in society. One of the most courageous women of French history, she was ultimately used and abandoned by the King after her purpose had been served. She was captured and burned at the stake as a heretic (charges also included witchcraft and violating divine law by dressing like a man) by the British and their Burgundian allies. The King, wary of his precarious position did nothing to intervene.

One of the most fascinating aspects of Joan of Arc's story is how women can be both revered and feared in equal measure. Crass soldiers are said to have been unable to swear in her presence. She was both commanding and serene. And yet the Church condemned her as an "excommunicated heretic, a liar, a seducer, pernicious...and contemptuous of God." (Parton, James, Daughters of Genius [N.P, 1897],148). How can the same woman be branded as a heretic in 1431 and canonized as a Saint in 1905? Scholars have debated this question for centuries but to the French people, Jeanne d'Arc, is revered as the patron saint of France, and countless celebrations take place every year honoring her bravery and sacrifice for the nation.

The story of Joan of Arc is so captivating that even in our modern era the French are drawn to her as a figure of national pride. The 2024 Paris Olympics included the figure of Joan of Arc as an armor-clad warrior on a horse gliding along the Seine river. As historian and travel writer Ina Caro wrote in her infinitely readable book Paris to the Past: Traveling Through French History by Train, an annual festival has been held in Orléans (the town where she delivered an end to the British Siege in 1429) almost every year since the deliverance. The annual Festival in Orléans, features an actor who rides a horse through the city just as Joan did so many centuries ago. Historically it has been a great honor to be chosen to represent Joan and the young teen who was finally selected for the part was required to go through several rounds of vetting to be sure they possessed the ethical and moral rectitude worthy to play the role.

There are ten modern stained-glass windows in the Cathedral of Orléans centered on Joan of Arc and her story. As Caro describes, the first one is Joan as a young girl in her hometown of Domrémy being told by the saints to go to Orléans to lift the siege and lead the dauphin (the future Charles VII) to Reims to be coronated. The second window shows Joan in the town of Vaucouleurs where she supposedly said to the captain of the Royal Garrison, Robert de Baudricourt, "Have you not heard it said that it has been prophesied that France shall be lost by a woman and restored by a virgin from the Lorraine marches?". (Caro, p. 133) In the third window Joan is depicted at the Chinon reception where she miraculously recognizes the dauphin who was cleverly dressed below his station to make it impossible for her to single him out. He was hidden among 300 of his courtiers. Joan entered the room and reportedly walked directly to the dauphin and related a story that only he would have known. In the fourth window she is depicted entering Orléans. The fifth window shows her victory at the fortress of Tourelles. The sixth window depicts a scene in the Cathedral of Orléans itself (a sort of meta experience for viewers) at mass at the altar. She is shown in the seventh window at the coronation of Charles VII. In the eighth window she is at Compiègne, where she was captured by the Burgundian forces awaiting the King's ransom. The ransom never came as the King no longer had any use for her. In the penultimate window she is shown bound to the stake at Rouen branded with the words "Heretic, relapsed apostate, idolatress". In the final window she is shown burned at the stake. It is a moving experience to visit this cathedral. Very nearby is the Maison de Jeanne d'Arc (where Joan stayed as a guest of Jacques Boucher who was the financial minister for the Duke of Orléans) located in the middle of Place du Général de Gaulle. It was burned down by the Germans in 1940 but was fastidiously rebuilt and has a complete model of Orléans during the time that Joan was alive. There is a poignant story narrated about how Joan of Arc freed the city and created a turning point in the Hundred Years War, ultimately saving France from British rule.

In Washington DC, tucked away on the ground floor of the West Building in the National Gallery of Art, there is a series of six paintings commissioned by William A. Clark. The famous French artist Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel (1850-1913) who was famous for his water colors and children's books undertook this commission and executed a compelling and original series depicting the pivotal junctures in the heroic and tragic life of Joan of Arc. The Joan of Arc series begins with The Vision and Inspiration and continues with: Her Appeal to the Dauphin; The Maid in Armor on Horseback;The Turmoil of Conflict;The Crowning at Rheims of the Dauphin and The Trial of Joan of Arc. For more information see the unbound portfolio of color photolithographs.

Joan of Arc Series III: The Maid in Armor on Horseback by Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel. c. 1908-late 1909. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Corcoran Collection (William A. Clark Collection).

In addition to artistic representations, there have been numerous cinematic efforts to glorify the life of Jeanne d'Arc. One of the earliest and most famous adaptations of her life is the silent film from 1928, La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc by the Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer, and starring Renée Jeanne Falconetti in a truly legendary performance of Jeanne. Based off the historical trial records that Dreyer studied for a year before scripting, the film depicts her trial which began on January 9th, 1431. It ends in her execution, by the brutal means of being burned at the stake. The was originally in French, later translated into Latin and finally into English. The film uses close up shots of the actors, mostly Jeanne herself, and members of the French clergy (who were loyal to the English). The film is almost entirely set in a stark white-walled structure that is meant to replicate the medieval prison in Rouen where Joan was eventually held under accusations of heresy. There were various version of the film due to edits and objections over the years. There are a variety of musical scores depending on the version. Some viewings had live music including an orchestra. An original music score was composed for the Paris version by Leo Pouget and Victor Alix which heightened the drama and tension of the otherwise silent film. The film is widely sited among experts as one of the greatest films in history. For more detailed information see the digitized copy of The Trial of Joan of Arc translated and introduced by Daniel Hobbins, 2005. In 1962, there was another film attempt depicting the trial of Joan of Arc called, Proces de Jeanne d'Arc, directed by Robert Bresson and staring Florence Delay as Joan. This film was also based entirely on the transcripts of the real-life trial and has a sparse and subtle approach.

After several month in prison, Joan was tried by a tribunal of clergymen and scholars who were loyal to the British. Over 20 years later Charles VII decided to rehabilitate her name by holding a Trial of Nullification. Charles VII said in his letter from 1450: Whereas Joan the Maid was captured by our ancient enemies and adversaries the English and brought to the city of Rouen, against whom they caused to take place a certain trial by certain person who had been chosen and given this task by them, in the process of which they made and committed many falsifications and abuses, so much so that, by means of this trial and the great hatred that our enemies had against her, they iniquitously, cruelly, and in defiance of all justice put her to death: we wish to know the truth about this matter and to learn the manner in which the proceedings were conducted and carried out. We command you, instruct you, and expressly enjoin you to inquire and inform yourself well and diligently on what was said: and that you bring under a closed seal before us and the men of our council the information that you will have gathered…for we give you power, authority, and special orders by these presents to carry this out. Given at Rouen, the 15th of February, the year of our Lord 1450.

For digitized sources on women of this time period see Digitized Sources: Medieval Women.

You can identify additional material by searching the Library of Congress Online Catalog using the following heading:

Joan, of Arc, Saint, 1412-1431--In literature