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.
Historiated initial depicting Joan of Arc
France, 1429 Controlled by Henry VI of England Controlled by Philip III of Burgundy Controlled by Charles VII of France
Charles VII of France by Jean Fouquet (c. 1444, Louvre, Paris)
Joan of Arc enters Orléans by Jean-Jacques Scherrer (1887, Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans)
The siege of Orléans marked a turning point of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. The siege took place at the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war, but was repulsed by French forces inspired by the arrival of Joan of Arc. The French would then regain the initiative in the conflict and began to recapture territories previously occupied by the English.
Joan of Arc at the Siege of Orléans by Jules Eugène Lenepveu, painted 1886–1890
Orléans in 1428–9, the time of the siege
Thomas Montagu, 4th Earl of Salisbury is fatally injured (illustration from Vigiles de Charles VII).
Siege of Orléans, 1429, using cannon fire
