The trial of Joan of Arc begins in Rouen.

Joan of Arc, also known as the “Maid of Orléans,” was a French peasant girl who became a national heroine and a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. Born in 1412 in Domrémy, France, during the latter stages of the Hundred Years’ War, she claimed to have received divine visions instructing her to support Charles VII and drive the English from French soil. Her unwavering faith and charisma inspired French troops, leading to significant victories, including the lifting of the Siege of Orléans in 1429. Captured by the Burgundians in 1430 and handed over to the English, Joan was tried for heresy and burned at the stake in 1431 at the age of 19. Decades later, a retrial declared her innocence, and she was canonized in 1920. Joan’s legacy endures as a symbol of courage, faith, and national pride.