Joan of Arc is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronation of Charles VII of France during the Hundred Years' War. Claiming to be acting under divine guidance, she became a military leader who transcended gender roles and gained recognition as a savior of France.
Joan of Arc (1412–1431) was formally canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on 16 May 1920 by Pope Benedict XV in his bull Divina disponente, which concluded the canonization process that the Sacred Congregation of Rites instigated after a petition of 1869 of the French Catholic hierarchy. Although pro-English clergy had Joan burnt at the stake for heresy in 1431, she was rehabilitated in 1456 after a posthumous retrial. Subsequently, she became a folk saint among French Catholics and soldiers inspired by her story of being commanded by God to fight for France against England. Many French regimes encouraged her cult, and the Third Republic was sympathetic to the canonization petition prior to the 1905 separation of church and state.
Joan of Arc is a 1900 French silent film directed by Georges Méliès, based on the life of Joan of Arc.
The Trial of Joan of Arc is a 1962 French historical drama film written and directed by Robert Bresson. The title role is played by Florence Delay.
Joan of Arc has inspired artistic and cultural works for nearly six centuries. The following lists cover various media to include items of historic interest, enduring works of high art, and recent representations in popular culture. The entries represent portrayals that a reader has a reasonable chance of encountering rather than a complete catalog. Lesser known works, particularly from early periods, are not included. In this article, many of the excluded items are derivative of better known representations. For instance, Friedrich Schiller's 1801 play The Maid of Orleans inspired at least 82 different dramatic works during the nineteenth century, and Verdi's and Tchaikovsky's operatic adaptations are still recorded and performed. Most of the others survive only in research libraries. As another example, in 1894, Émile Huet listed over 400 plays and musical works about Joan of Arc. Despite a great deal of scholarly interest in Joan of Arc, no complete list of artistic works about her exists, although a 1989 doctoral dissertation did identify all relevant films including ones for which no copy survives.
Pierronne, also known as Pierrone, Pierronne la Bretonne and Perrinaïc, was a Breton woman who said she saw visions of "God dressed in a long white robe with a red tunic underneath". Pierronne, who may have met Joan of Arc in 1429, tried to defend her reputation at Corbeil. For this, Pierronne was arrested by pro-English authorities in March 1430 and burned at the stake.
Joan of Arc is a 1999 Canadian two-part television miniseries about the 15th-century Catholic saint of the same name. The miniseries stars Leelee Sobieski as Saint Joan. A joint production of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Alliance Atlantis Communications, it was shown internationally in 1999.
Gilles de Rais, Baron de Rais, was a knight and lord from Brittany, Anjou and Poitou, a leader in the French army, and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known for his reputation and later conviction as a confessed serial killer of children.
Due to inconsistent record keeping and different contemporary customs, the name of Joan of Arc at birth is not known for certain.
Pierre d'Arc (1408–1467) was a French soldier whose place in history is due to his service in the army made famous by his younger sister Joan of Arc.
Jean d'Aulon (1390–1458) was a French knight and lord best known for serving alongside Jeanne d'Arc as her soldier, steward, bodyguard, and squire. Some sources incorrectly attribute the role of d'Arc's bodyguard to Gilles de Rais. d'Aulon was an avid and detailed journaler and his records, considered to be honest and straightforward, set the foundation for what we know about Jeanne d'Arc, including her apparent amenorrhea.
Régine Pernoud was a French historian and archivist. Pernoud was one of the most prolific medievalists in 20th century France; more than any other single scholar of her time, her work advanced and expanded the study of Joan of Arc.
Jean de Metz was a French nobleman who is known primarily for his role in the exploits of Joan of Arc.
French history has been the basis of plays in the English-speaking theatre since the English Renaissance theatre.
Joan the Maid is a 1994 French historical film directed by Jacques Rivette. Chronicling the life of Joan of Arc from the French perspective, it was released in two parts: Joan the Maid, Part 1: The Battles and Joan the Maid, Part 2: The Prisons.
Dark Eyes is a 1935 French drama film directed by Viktor Tourjansky and starring Harry Baur, Simone Simon and Jean-Pierre Aumont. The film's sets were designed by the art director Eugène Lourié.
After the French lifted the siege of Orléans and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Patay, the English and Burgundians no longer posed a threat. Joan of Arc convinced the Dauphin Charles to go to Reims for his coronation. Successfully marching their army though the heart of territory held by the hostile Burgundians solidified the Dauphin’s regrasp of the throne of France. He had been disinherited from it through the Treaty of Troyes.
André Cornélis is a 1927 French silent film directed by Jean Kemm and starring Georges Lannes, Albert Bras and Claude France. It is based on the 1886 novel André Cornélis by Paul Bourget. Kemm had previously directed a 1918 film version of the story.
Simone Genevois was a French film actress. She began her career as a child actor. Her best-known role was in the 1929 epic Saint Joan the Maid in which she played the title part of Joan of Arc.
Quay of Grenelle is a 1950 French crime drama film directed by Emil-Edwin Reinert and starring Henri Vidal, Maria Mauban and Françoise Arnoul. It was shot at the Billancourt Studios in Paris. The film's sets were designed by the art director Lucien Aguettand. The film takes its title from a Paris street of the same name.
