Joan of Arc, or Jeanne d'Arc in French, was born circa 1412 in the
small village of Domrémy, known today as Domrémy-la-Pucelle in honor of
Joan's nickname la Pucelle d'Orléans (the Maid of Orléans). The village
lies at the base of a wooded hill, with the Meuse River flowing quietly
nearby, part of the Grand Est region of northeastern France. Her
childhood home still stands in excellent condition in the center of
town.
The daughter of Jacques d'Arc, a farmer, and Isabelle Romée, Joan was
the youngest of five children. At the time, France was embroiled in the
Hundred Years' War with England and Domrémy was under constant threat
of invasion from English forces. It was said at the time one could wake
up in a French village and become English by evening. Joan grew up in
the Domrémy countryside where, as the legend goes, she heard heavenly
voices. These heavenly encounters culminated with a vision of three
saints: Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Michael the Archangel, and
Saint Margaret. These experiences in Domremy led her to the embattled
Charles VII and her quest to "hound the English out of France."
Her home today, with its unique sloping roof, is part of a larger
museum dedicated to telling the story of Joan's life, Le Centre
Johannique. Visitors can step inside Joan's house, largely unchanged
from her time. The facade features two interesting amendments, the
first being the very noticeable figure of Joan above the door. This
statue dates to the transition between the 16th and 17th centuries and
is a copy of the oldest surviving statue of Joan of Arc. In other
words, the closest thing we have to a real image of the saint. It was
based on a statue erected in the town of Orléans, which Joan famously
saved to cement her reputation as the savior of France.
Joan's descendant Claude Du Lys added the outline around the front door
of the carved tympanum in 1481; the date is visible in Roman numerals.
Three shields bear a coat of arms in a characteristic Gothic design
that was widespread in Lorraine until the 16th century. The middle
shield features the arms of the Kingdom of France, three fleurs-de-lis.
The left shield features three plowshares, as Claude was a farmer and
probably honors the area's agricultural heritage. The shield on the
right shows the arms of Joan of Arc: a sword supporting the crown of
France and two fleurs-de-lis. There are also two mottos in Latin; "Vive
labeur," a slogan honoring those who till the soil and, "Vive le roi
Louis," a reference to Louis XI, the son of Charles VII and King of
France in Claude's time.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/birthplace-joan-of-arc
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