Joan of Arc

At an age when most historical figures had not yet begun their public lives, Joan of Arc had already led an army, crowned a king, and been condemned to death — all before her twentieth birthday.

Visions and a Mission

Born around 1412 in the village of Domrémy, Joan claimed that at age thirteen she began experiencing visions of saints instructing her to support the French crown and drive English forces from France. Remarkably, this uneducated peasant girl convinced local officials, and eventually the French royal court, to grant her an armed escort and a place at the head of a French army — an almost unthinkable feat for a young woman in 15th-century Europe.

The Siege of Orléans

In 1429, Joan led the campaign to relieve the besieged city of Orléans, a turning point that had trapped French forces for months. Her arrival galvanized French troops, and the siege was broken within days — a victory that transformed her into a national symbol of hope and helped pave the way for the coronation of Charles VII as King of France later that year, with Joan standing at his side.

Capture and Trial

Joan's military momentum did not last. In 1430, she was captured by Burgundian forces allied with the English and sold to them for ransom. She was put on trial for heresy by an English-influenced ecclesiastical court, accused in part of dressing in men's clothing and claiming direct communication with God without the Church's mediation. Despite mounting her own defense with remarkable composure, she was convicted and burned at the stake in Rouen in 1431.

Vindication and Legacy

Twenty-five years after her execution, a posthumous retrial ordered by Pope Callixtus III declared her innocent and annulled her conviction. She was beatified in 1909 and formally canonized as a Catholic saint in 1920. Today, Joan of Arc remains one of France's most enduring national symbols, celebrated as a figure of faith, courage, and resistance against foreign occupation.