In the XV century. she was accused of witchcraft and heresy and burned at the stake, and at the beginning of the twentieth century. recognized as a saint and canonized. Jeanne d'Arc is not only a national symbol of France, but also a constant subject of controversy. A huge number of legends are associated with her name; discussions are still going on about whether she was really burned in Rouen, and how legitimate the canonization of Joan of Arc was.
J.-O. D. Ingres. Joan of Arc at the coronation of Charles VII, 1854. Detail
Joan of Arc was born in 1412, at the height of the Hundred Years War, into an ordinary peasant family. From the age of 13, she began to hear unusual voices urging her to elevate the rightful heir to the French throne - the Dauphin Charles VII, lift the siege from Orleans and expel the English invaders from the kingdom. At that time, the ruler of France under the treaty in Troyes was the English king Henry V, and France actually joined England, which was tacitly accused of Queen Isabella of Bavaria. The people said: if a woman ruined France, then the Virgin must save her.
J. E. Leneve. Left - * Vision of Joan of Arc *, 1889. Right - * Joan of Arc at the siege of Orleans *, 1886-1890
J. Bastien-Lepage. Vision of Joan of Arc, 1879
Jeanne, according to her stories, was visited by visions of saints - the archangel Michael, Catherine and Margarita. They called her the chosen one and called for the liberation of France. When Jeanne at 17 declared her visions, she was ridiculed. But after that, she predicted the outcome of the battles several times, and they began to listen to her. In 1429, the girl went to Chinon Castle and won an audience with Charles VII. She managed to convince the Dauphin to entrust her with a military detachment to liberate Orleans. Under her leadership, the siege was lifted.
Left - Joan of Arc. Miniature of the second half of the 15th century. On the right is G. Shtilke. Death of Joan of Arc at the stake
Unknown artist. The execution of Joan of Arc
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After that, Jeanne managed to convince the Royal Council of the need to march to Reims in order to coronate Charles VII. The plan was successfully implemented, thanks to the Virgin of Orleans in Reims Cathedral, the coronation of Charles VII took place. After that, the king behaved unexpectedly: instead of another offensive, he signed a truce with the Burgundians, in January 1930 the army was disbanded. Jeanne was taken prisoner, she was handed over to the British. It was rumored that she was betrayed by the associates of Charles VII.
J. E. Leneve. Left - * Joan of Arc at the coronation of Charles VII *. Right - * Jeanne at the stake *, 1886-1890
In early 1431 Joan of Arc was brought before the Inquisition. She was accused on several counts, among which were divination, wearing men's clothing, heresy, deceiving the king, false prophecy, summoning evil spirits, witchcraft, ties with the devil, etc. The main purpose of the trial was to prove that Charles VII was illegally enthroned by a witch, a heretic and apostate, and thus undermine the people's confidence in him. Jeanne was examined to confirm her virginity and female gender. There was no reason for doubt, which contradicted the accusation of witchcraft - then it was believed that every witch entered into a relationship with the devil.
Left - J.-O. D. Ingres. Joan of Arc at the coronation of Charles VII, 1854. Right - P. P. Rubens. Joan of Arc praying, c. 1620
On pain of death, Jeanne d'Arc signed a protocol to renounce her views. But later, in prison, they took her women's dress and threw in men's clothes. She was forced to wear it again, which actually testified to a return to heresy. Then Jeanne was sentenced to be burned. After the sentence was carried out, the executioner sobbed - he argued that the heart of the Virgin of Orleans had not burned in the fire.
Mila Jovovich in the film * Jeanne d'Arc *, 1999 | Photo: s1.flister.ru
Mila Jovovich in * Jeanne d'Arc *, 1999 | Photo: kino.prim.land
25 years later, a new trial took place, to which 115 witnesses were invited, refuting all the charges. As a result of this trial, Joan of Arc was rehabilitated and recognized as a national heroine. Her mission to save France was confirmed at the beginning of the twentieth century. On April 18, 1909 (according to other sources - May 16, 1920), the Vatican canonized Joan of Arc, that is, canonized her.
House of Jeanne d'Arc in Domremy | Photo: parisgid.ru
Monument to Jeanne d'Arc in Domremy | Photo: parisgid.ru
Today there are many alternative versions of the story of Joan of Arc. For example, some are convinced that the process over her and the execution itself were staged, since the girl was in fact an illegitimate child of royal blood (the daughter of the Duke of Orleans and Isabella of Bavaria). According to this version, she survived and settled in Orleans under the name of Jeanne d'Armoise. However, this version has not found conclusive evidence.
Monument to Jeanne d'Arc in Paris | Photo: parisgid.ru
The name of Charles VII is associated not only with the martyrdom of the Virgin of Orleans, thanks to which he ascended the throne.