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| Jean d'Arc statue with Hotel Regina in back - by DG Hudson |
Jean d’Arc (Joan of Arc)
Joan of Arcadia, (French, Jeanne d'Arc) is a national heroine of France. Born circa 1412 - 30 May 1431, this visionary peasant girl led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, paving the way for the coronation of Charles VII.
After motivating her fellow Frenchmen into action, she was captured by the Burgundians, transferred to the English for money, put on trial by the pro-English bishop and burned at the stake.
Jean d'Arc was 19 years old. She wasn't a witch, she was fighting for France, her country.
The gilded statue of Jean d'Arc and horse can be seen heading east along the Rue de Rivoli, at the Place des Pyramides, a public square in the 1st arrondissement. This is near the spot where she was wounded at the Saint-Honoré Gate in an unsuccessful attack on English-held Paris, September 8, 1429.
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| Jean d'Arc, Rue de Rivoli, Paris - by DG Hudson |
Twenty-five years after her execution, an Inquisitorial court pronounced Jean d'Arc innocent and declared her a martyr. Joan of Arc was beatified (blessed after death) in 1909, and canonized (declared a saint) in 1920.
Seeing the gilded statue in front of the Hotel Regina, her commanding presence forcing traffic to route around her, I realized that this was how I had visualized her. A fierce young woman leading the fight to save her home, her country.
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DG's Theme: PARIS, ETC (Art, Film, Places and People)
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How does such a person arise from the general population (male or female)? Strength of character? Strength of conviction? What makes our heroes and heroines stand out? What do you think? Please share in the comments.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc Joan of Arc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_Rivoli,_Paris Facts about the Rue de Rivoli
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