The Trial of Joan of Arc

May 30, 1431, is the one date that Rouen will never forget. It was on this day that Joan of Arc, a key figure in French history, met her tragic end. And this is where it all happened; this place is forever linked to the city’s identity. Falsely accused of witchcraft by the English, who sought to undermine the legitimacy of King Charles VII, she was condemned to be burned at the stake on this very spot, in the Old Market Square. It’s said that the stake was so high that Geoffroy Thérage, Rouen’s royal executioner, couldn’t strangle her before the flames consumed her. Dressed in an uncomfortable, sulfur-colored dress and a paper miter listing her supposed sins, the nineteen-year-old girl suffered a horrific death before English officials, church leaders, and a large horrified crowd. Just a heads up: this next part might be difficult to hear, so be advised. To ensure no part of her remained, her body was allegedly burned three times. The first time, she died from smoke inhalation. The second time, which was the longest, the fire consumed her entire body, save for her entrails and heart because of their high water content. The third fire finished the job, leaving ashes and bone debris, which were allegedly scattered in the Seine to stop people from keeping them as relics. Yet her story didn’t end there. Her mother’s appeal, supported by the Pope, led to her exoneration in July 1456. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920. Today, Joan of Arc is a national hero and a legendary figure known worldwide. Her memory lives on in Rouen with a giant commemorative cross marking the exact spot where the pyre was set up. It was erected 5 centuries after her death. There’s also a statue of her by Maxime Real del Sarte, inaugurated in 1929. Fun fact: there are two replicas of the statue – one on the banks of the Río de la Plata, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and another at the University of Montreal in Quebec.