Joan of Arc
Patron saint of France and military leader who helped turn the tide of the Hundred Years' War.
Joan of Arc, known in French as Jeanne d’Arc, is a patron saint of France. She is remembered for lifting the siege of Orléans and pushing for the coronation of Charles VII during the Hundred Years’ War, claiming she acted on divine guidance. She became a military leader and was seen as a savior of France.
Born around 1412 to a propertied peasant family in Domrémy, in northeast France, Joan had three brothers and a sister. Her father, Jacques d’Arc, was a farmer and village official; her mother was Isabelle Romée. Joan was not taught to read or write as a child, so she dictated her letters. She may later have learned to sign her name, and she referred to herself as “Joan the Maiden” or “the Maiden,” signing as “Jehanne.” Her name was spelled many ways before the 16th century—often “Darc” without an apostrophe, but also “Tarc,” “Dart,” or “Day.” She may never have heard herself called “Jeanne d’Arc”; the first written record of that name is from 1455, 24 years after her death. In the 16th century, she became known as the “Maid of Orleans.”
France was divided when Joan was born. The Hundred Years’ War with England had started in 1337, and fighting had devastated France’s economy. King Charles VI suffered mental illness, and his brother Louis, Duke of Orléans, and cousin John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, quarreled over the regency. In 1407, the Duke of Burgundy ordered the assassination of the Duke of Orléans, sparking a civil war between the Armagnacs (supporters of the young Charles of Orléans) and the Burgundians. The future Charles VII became dauphin after his four older brothers died and sided with the Armagnacs. England’s Henry V invaded in 1415, the Burgundians took Paris in 1418, and after the dauphin’s partisans assassinated the Duke of Burgundy during peace talks in 1419, the new duke, Philip the Good, allied with the English. Charles VI then accused the dauphin of treason.
In 1428, Joan requested to be taken to Charles VII, saying she was guided by visions of the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine to help him save France from English rule. Convinced of her devotion and purity, Charles sent her—then about seventeen—to Orléans with a relief army. She arrived in April 1429, carrying her banner and lifting the spirits of the demoralized French troops. Nine days later, the English abandoned the siege. Joan urged the French to pursue the English aggressively during the Loire Campaign, leading to a decisive victory at Patay. This opened the way for the French army to advance unopposed to Reims, where Charles was crowned king with Joan at his side. These victories boosted French morale and paved the way for France’s final triumph in the war decades later.
After the coronation, Joan took part in the failed siege of Paris in September 1429 and the failed siege of La Charité in November. These defeats reduced the court’s trust in her. In early 1430, she organized a volunteer company to relieve Compiègne, which was besieged by Burgundians—French allies of the English. She was captured by Burgundian troops on 23 May. After an unsuccessful escape attempt, she was handed to the English in November. Bishop Pierre Cauchon put her on trial for heresy, accusing her of blasphemy for wearing men’s clothes, acting on demonic visions, and refusing to submit her words and deeds to the church’s judgment. She was found guilty and burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, at about age nineteen.
In 1456, an inquisitorial court reinvestigated the trial and overturned the verdict, ruling it was tainted by deceit and procedural errors. Joan has been described as an obedient Catholic, an early feminist, and a symbol of freedom and independence. She is popularly revered as a martyr. After the French Revolution, she became a national symbol of France. Pope Benedict XV canonized her in 1920, and two years later she was declared one of the patron saints of France. She appears in countless cultural works, including literature, music, paintings, sculptures, theater, and film.
- born
- c. 1412, Domrémy, France
- died
- 30 May 1431, burned at the stake, aged about nineteen
- field
- Military leader, saint
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- Siege of Orléans, coronation of Charles VII, visions, martyrdom
Quick Facts
- Honorific-Prefix
- Saint
- Birth Date
- c. 1412
- Birth Place
- Domrémy, Duchy of Bar, Kingdom of France
- Death Date
- 30 May 1431 (aged 19)
- Death Place
- Rouen, Anglo-French Kingdom
- Titles
- Virgin
- Feast Day
- 30 May
- Venerated In
- Catholic Church
- Beatified Date
- 18 April 1909
- Beatified By
- Pope Pius X
- Canonized Date
- 16 May 1920
- Canonized By
- Pope Benedict XV
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Joan was born to a propertied peasant family at Domrémy in northeast France. In 1428, she requested to be taken to Charles VII, later testifying that she was guided by visions from the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine to help him save France from English domination. Convinced of her devotion and purity, Charles sent Joan, who was about seventeen years old, to Orléans as part of a relief army. She arrived at the city in April 1429, wielding her banner and bringing hope to the demoralized French army. Nine days after her arrival, the English abandoned the siege. Joan encouraged the French to aggressively pursue the English during the Loire Campaign, which culminated in another decisive victory at Patay, opening the way for the French army to advance on Reims unopposed, where Charles was crowned as the king of France with Joan at his side. These victories boosted French morale, paving the way for their final triumph in the Hundred Years' War several decades later. After Charles's coronation, Joan participated in the unsuccessful siege of Paris in September 1429 and the failed siege of La Charité in November. Her role in these defeats reduced the court's faith in her. In early 1430, Joan organized a company of volunteers to relieve Compiègne, which had been besieged by the Burgundians—French allies of the English. She was captured by Burgundian troops on 23 May. After trying unsuccessfully to escape, she was handed to the English in November. She was put on trial by Bishop Pierre Cauchon on accusations of heresy, which included blaspheming by wearing men's clothes, acting upon visions that were demonic, and refusing to submit her words and deeds to the judgment of the church. She was declared guilty and burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, aged about nineteen. In 1456, an inquisitorial court reinvestigated Joan's trial and overturned the verdict, declaring that it was tainted by deceit and procedural errors. Joan has been described as an obedient member of the Catholic Church, an early feminist, and a symbol of freedom and independence. She is popularly revered as a martyr. After the French Revolution, she became a national symbol of France. In 1920, Joan of Arc was canonized by Pope Benedict XV and, two years later, was declared one of the patron saints of France.
Reader's Guide
Joan of Arc's name was written in a variety of ways. There is no standard spelling of her name before the sixteenth century; her last name was usually written as 'Darc' without an apostrophe, but there are variants such as 'Tarc', 'Dart' or 'Day'. Her father's name was written as 'Tart' at her trial. She was called 'Jeanne d'Ay de Domrémy' in Charles VII's 1429 letter granting her a coat of arms. Joan may never have heard herself called 'Jeanne d'Arc'. The first written record of her being called by this name is in 1455, 24 years after her death. She was not taught to read and write in her childhood, and so dictated her letters. She may later have learned to sign her name, as some of her letters are signed, and she may even have learned to read. Joan referred to herself in the letters as Jeanne la Pucelle ('Joan the Maiden') or as la Pucelle ('the Maiden'), emphasizing her virginity, and she signed 'Jehanne'. In the sixteenth century, she became known as the 'Maid of Orleans'.
Did You Know?
- Joan of Arc was born c. 1412 in Domrémy, a small village in the Meuse valley now in the Vosges department in the north-east of France.
- Her date of birth is unknown and her statements about her age were vague.
- Her parents were Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée.
- Joan had three brothers and a sister.
- She was born during the Hundred Years' War between England and France, which had begun in 1337.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"...you shall never hold the Kingdom of France from God, the King of Heaven, the son of St. Mary; but King Charles, the true heir, will hold it; for God, the King of Heaven wishes it so...." — Joan of Arc "From her ultimatum to the English commanders at Orleans, dictated to a scribe on 22 March 1429; excerpt from the translation in "Joan of Arc: Her Story" (1999) by Regine Pernoud and Marie-Veronique Clin, p. 34." — Joan of Arc "From her ultimatum to the Hussites, dictated to a scribe on 23 March 1430; excerpt from the translation in "Joan of Arc: Her Story" (1999) by Regine Pernoud and Marie-Veronique Clin, p. 259." — Joan of Arc "Children say that people are hanged sometimes for speaking the truth." — Joan of Arc
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