Common questions about Joan of Arc

Short answers, pulled from the story.

Who was Joan of Arc and what was her background?

Joan of Arc was a seventeen-year-old peasant girl from the village of Domrémy who claimed to have been visited by the archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. She walked into the royal court at Chinon in the spring of 1429 to tell the Dauphin Charles VII that he was the rightful king of France.

When did Joan of Arc arrive at Orléans and what happened there?

Joan of Arc arrived at Orléans on the 29th of April 1429 when the city was on the brink of collapse due to the English siege. She led the French forces to victory, and the siege was lifted on the 8th of May 1429 after she was wounded by an arrow but returned to the battle to lead the final charge.

Where was Joan of Arc executed and on what date?

Joan of Arc was executed in the Old Marketplace of Rouen on the 30th of May 1431. She was tied to a tall plastered pillar and burned alive, with her remains thrown into the Seine River to prevent any relics from being created.

Why was Joan of Arc captured and who captured her?

Joan of Arc was captured on the 23rd of May 1430 during a desperate attempt to relieve the town of Compiègne which was under siege by the Burgundians. She was captured by a pro-Burgundian nobleman named Lyonnel de Wandomme and later transferred to Rouen for trial.

When was Joan of Arc rehabilitated and who led the inquest?

The rehabilitation of Joan of Arc began in 1450 when Charles VII ordered an inquest into the trial. The inquest was led by Guillaume Bouillé and concluded that the judgment was arbitrary and that Joan had been treated as a political prisoner.

When was Joan of Arc canonized and by which Pope?

Joan of Arc was canonized on the 16th of May 1920 by Pope Benedict XV. She was beatified by Pope Pius X in 1909 and her feast day is the 30th of May, the anniversary of her execution.