She was only 16 years old and her goal was clear: she would free Orleans from the English occupation forces, only guided by her faith. Jeanne d’Arc was barely 1.58 meters tall but King Charles VII had seen her greatness beyond her height: he gave her an armor, a sword, but most of all a whole army! Respected and venerated by her men, the “maid of Orleans” evicted in ten days the English from Orleans. But this victory did not prevent her from being condemned by the church for heresy: she was burnt alive. Seen as an independent woman, warlord, epic heroine, saint or patriotic resistant, Jeanne d’Arc is a mythical figure in French history.

To go further

Learning French

• Vocabulary : the word “grandeur” is rarely used to express a mathematical length or height. Find here the lexicon of measures
• Have fun here by finding some synonyms of the word faire

Discovering more about the subject

• The victory of Jeanne d’Arc in Orleans marks a turning point in the Hundred Years War. But what do you know about this war? Test your knowledge with this quiz.

• Jeanne d’Arc is certainly the most famous woman in the history of France. Find her complete portrait and the one of other women who made history here

Video

Discover France of the 15th century with this trailer of Jeanne d’Arc, a film by Luc Besson, a famous French director