Joan of Arc

In the French countryside of Domrémy, around 1412, a peasant girl was born who would change the course of the Hundred Years’ War and become France’s greatest saint. Joan of Arc lived only nineteen years, but in that brief time, she transformed from a shepherd’s daughter into a military commander, a kingmaker, and a martyr whose memory still inspires nations.

When Joan was thirteen, she began hearing voices—Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine—telling her that God had chosen her to drive the English from France and see the dauphin crowned king at Reims Cathedral. In an age when Medieval Europe accepted divine visions as reality, Joan’s mystical experiences gave her unshakeable conviction. For years, she kept her divine mission secret, but as the English tightened their grip on France, the voices grew more insistent.

In 1428, at sixteen, Joan convinced her uncle to take her to the royal court at Chinon. When she met the dauphin Charles VII—reportedly recognizing him even though he had disguised himself among his courtiers—she told him that God had sent her to crown him king and expel the English invaders. After theologians examined her and found her orthodox, Charles gave Joan armor, a banner, and authority to lead French forces.

Joan’s first triumph came at Orléans, where the English had laid siege for months. Her arrival electrified the French defenders, and within four days, her coordinated assaults forced the English to lift the siege. Victory followed victory as Joan cleared the Loire Valley of English forces, opening the road to Reims. On July 17, 1429, Charles VII was crowned king in Reims Cathedral, with Joan standing beside him holding her banner.

But Joan’s meteoric rise ended as suddenly as it began. During a siege at Compiègne in 1430, Burgundian allies of the English captured her and sold her to their English masters. The English needed to discredit Joan’s divine claims, so they arranged a show trial for heresy. Despite her lack of education, Joan defended herself brilliantly before the ecclesiastical court, but the outcome was predetermined.

On May 30, 1431, the English burned Joan of Arc at the stake in Rouen’s marketplace. She was nineteen years old. But her execution backfired spectacularly—instead of destroying French morale, it enraged the French people and made Joan a martyr. The English never recovered their military initiative, and within twenty-two years, they had lost all their holdings in France except Calais.

Twenty-five years after her death, the Church overturned Joan’s conviction and declared her a martyr. In 1920, she became Saint Joan of Arc, patron saint of France. Her story—of a peasant girl who heard divine voices and saved her nation—remains one of history’s most extraordinary tales of faith, courage, and the power of absolute conviction.

Primary Sources and Research

Contemporary Documents

• Trial records: Complete transcripts of both condemnation and rehabilitation trials
• Chronicle accounts: Contemporary historians and witnesses
• Official correspondence: Letters and diplomatic communications
• Church documents: Papal bulls and ecclesiastical records

Modern Scholarship

• Centre Jeanne d’Arc: Research center in Orléans
• Joan of Arc Archive: Digital collection of sources
• Medieval Academy: Scholarly publications

Museums and Sites

• Orléans Joan of Arc Museum: Comprehensive collection and exhibitions
• Domrémy Birthplace: Preserved medieval village and museum
• Reims Cathedral: Site of Charles VII’s coronation
• Rouen: Memorial at execution site