A Timeline of
Joan of Arc

The Lifetime of Joan of Arc: c.1412-1431

c.1412: Birth of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc (French: Jehanne d’Arc) is born to a peasant family in the French countryside, in a village called Domrémy, on the border of French and Anglo-Burgundian territory. Though the Burgundians are also French, they are allies of the English. Due to marauding armies, the citizens of Domrémy are often under threat of invasion and at one point have to flee their homes. Joan grows up very close to the depredations and violence of the war.

Tour of Domrémy-la-Pucelle, birthplace of Joan of Arc

Kenneth Branagh depicts Henry V delivering a speech before the Battle of Agincourt in the 1989 film adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry V

1415-1453: 100 Years War enters its final phase

Throughout Joan's childhood, the French cause suffers major setbacks in the ongoing war with England, and she grows up on stories of French defeats. Most importantly for Joan, King Charles VI of France dies and his son, Charles the Dauphin, remains uncrowned because the English control access to the city of Reims, the only place where a French monarch can be crowned.

For more information about these events, open the tab below.

Major Political Events Leading up to Joan's Career

1415: Battle of Agincourt

Henry V of England pulls off a stunning and decisive victory over a numerically superior French army. Thousands of French men-at-arms (many of them noblemen) are killed or captured. After such a loss, the French are very hesitant to engage Henry in another major battle, which allows him to conquer all of Normandy and force a settlement at the Treaty of Troyes. Many prisoners from Agincourt are still held in English dungeons at the time of Joan's campaigns in 1429-1430.

1420: Treaty of Troyes

Suffering from mental illness and faced by defeats on every side, King Charles VI recognizes the legitimacy of Henry V's claim to the French crown. He disinherits his own son, Charles the Dauphin, in favor of Henry. Henry V marries the French princess, Catharine de Valois, to seal the agreement between their families. This does not, however, lead to peace. The Dauphin rejects the treaty, and fighting continues.

1422: Deaths of Charles VI and Henry V

The kings of France and England both die within two months of each other, leaving a power vacuum and an ongoing war. Now there are two contenders for the vacant French throne: Charles the Dauphin and Henry VI, infant son of Henry V and Catharine de Valois. French support for the claimants is split, with the Armagnac faction backing Charles and the Burgundian faction backing the young Henry. Thus, the war between England and France is also a French civil war.

1424: Battle of Verneuil

John Duke of Bedford, uncle of Henry VI, inflicts another humiliating defeat on the French. Many call it a "second Agincourt." Even with the help of Scottish and Milanese forces, the French seem powerless to resist English armies in open battle. Duke John II of Alençon, who would later serve as one of Joan of Arc's most stalwart companions, first sees action in this battle.

c.1425: Joan hears voices

At the age of 13, Joan reports that she hears voices for the first time. The first who appears to her is Saint Michael, “quite surrounded by the Angels of Heaven.” She later has visions of Saints Catherine and Margaret, saying, “Their faces are adorned with beautiful crowns, very rich and precious.” Catherine’s and Margaret’s voices are the two she hears most often. As a child, they tell her to go to church and be good. When she grows older, her voices tell her she must liberate France.

Quotations taken from the translated Trial Documents found here.

Joan hears the voices of her saints

Joan leaves Vaucouleus for Chinon

May 1428-January 1429: Joan goes to Vaucouleurs

When she is sixteen, Joan travels to the nearest fort still loyal to Charles. She asks to join the cause and is initially refused. She returns home, then comes back the following January.

On her return, the captain of the garrison, Robert de Baudricourt, recognizes her piety and decides to give her a chance. He sends her to Chinon, accompanied by six men-at-arms and dressed in armor (men's clothing).

Click Here for a Map of Joan's Movements

1429: Joan meets Charles the Dauphin

Joan identifies the Dauphin Charles, hidden in the crowd at Chinon

When she arrives at the Dauphin's court at Chinon, Charles and his advisors are cautious. He is eventually persuaded to see her by his mother-in-law, Yolande of Aragon. Charles tests the Maid by hiding among his courtiers, but Joan identifies him easily. She exhorts him to go to Reims, the city where French monarchs are traditionally crowned. Before he can get there, the English must be driven from the Loire Valley. To determine if Joan really is sent by God, Charles has her examined by ecclesiastical authorities at Poitiers. Once they are convinced of her chastity and devotion, Charles sends Joan at the head of his army to lift the siege of Orléans. There, she promises God will give proof of her divine mission.

Why is Charles called "Dauphin" and not "Prince"?

"Dauphin" is the word for the heir apparent to the French throne, distinct from other princes of the blood (just as the heir to the English throne is traditionally called the "Prince of Wales"). He rules over the province of Dauphiné in southeastern France. But it's more complex than that in this case. Charles's father, Charles VI, had disinherited Charles and named the English King Henry as his heir. Charles the Dauphin's ascent to the throne is a matter of contention in the war. Even once he is crowned as Charles VII, the English refuse to recognize him as the rightful king of France.

October 1428-May 1429: The Siege of Orléans

Joan heads with Charles's men to lift the siege

Orléans, a key city in central France, had been under English siege since 12 October 1428. Joan and her relieving army of several hundred soldiers arrive in April the following year. The people welcome Joan as their savior. Without waiting for further reinforcements, Joan urges the French soldiers to launch counter-attacks against the encircling English host. After lifting the siege of Orléans in a series of savage assaults, the French army proceeds to crush English garrisons along the length of the Loire Valley at Jargeau, Meung, and Beaugency. Joan is wounded several times, but this does not prevent her from leading the French to victory.

18 June 1429: Battle of Patay

"The Turmoil of Conflict"

Joan of Arc and the Duke of Alençon destroy the last English army in the Loire Valley with a surprise attack. Sir John Fastolf is sent to relieve the garrison at Beaugency, but arrives too late to prevent its capture. Instead he is overwhelmed by a French cavalry charge, which cuts down his archers before they are able to properly deploy. This is the last engagement of the Loire campaign and the first French victory in a field battle since 1423. Even though she does not participate in the actual fighting, Joan receives much of the credit for the victory.

17 July 1429: King Charles VII is Crowned

Joan holds her banner as Charles is crowned king

After a great many delays because of Charles’s hesitation, Joan, the Dauphin, and their men finally arrive in Reims in July 1429. The cathedral of Reims is the city where French kings were historically crowned. On 17 July 1429, Charles is crowned King of France with Joan at his side, carrying her war banner. At the ceremony, she kneels before Charles and calls him her king. That same day, she writes to the duke of Burgundy, urging him to make peace with Charles.

1429: "Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc"

Christine de Pisan is now a poet in the court of Charles VII. Inspired by Joan of Arc's triumphs in battle, she writes the "Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc" (Song of Joan of Arc), an epic poem about the young maid. This is Christine's last major work and the only such work written in Joan's lifetime.

There have been several modern adaptations that put the Song of Joan to music. Though it was likely performed to music in the 15th century, the original tune has been lost.

This playlist contains the entire work of the Song of Joan put to music, including Christine's introduction

Stone from the prison of Joan of Arc

May 1430: Burgundians Capture Joan

In May the following year, Joan is captured by Burgundian forces while trying to lift the English siege at Compiègne. She tries many times to escape, but without success. The Burgundians sell their prisoner to the English for a king's ransom of 10,000 livres tournois. John Duke of Bedford instructs the bishop of Beauvais to bring charges against Joan, and he makes it clear that he expects a conviction. Theology faculty from the University of Paris are assembled for her trial. Though Charles had been in talks with the duke of Burgundy, he makes no attempts to save Joan from her imprisonment.

13 January-30 May 1431: Heresy Trial of Joan of Arc

Joan is put on trial by an ecclesiastical court on charges of heresy and witchcraft. Church authorities accuse her of violating the Biblical commandment against cross-dressing. They say her voices are those of demons rather than saints, and when she protests, they accuse her of refusing to submit to the authority of the church on matters of divine revelation. The uneducated peasant girl gives surprisingly astute answers to difficult theological questions. Though she finally repents under pressure, Joan soon goes back to wearing men's clothing. On 30 May, she is burned at the stake as a relapsed heretic.

Joan is executed as a relapsed heretic

Click here to Read About Joan's Legacy After her Death

Artworks and Videos Featured on This Page

Destination Lorraine. "Domrémy-la-Pucelle from above - drone video - Visit Lorraine - EN." Lorraine Tourisme and Western Vosges Tourist Office. Posted August 26, 2016. YouTube video, 0:01:05. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUK3aheAfg8

Movieclips. "Henry V (7/10) Movie CLIP - Saint Crispin's Day (1989) HD." TM & © MGM (1989). Posted April 22, 2015. YouTube video, 0:03:28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvFHRNGYfuo

Luc Oliver Merson, Joan of Arc Hearing the Voices, 1895, pen and black and brown ink, with white gouache and gray wash on buff paper, image: 34.1 × 23 cm (13 7/16 × 9 1/16 in.), National Gallery of Art, Alisa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2013.89.1

Jean-Jacques Scherrer, Jeanne d'Arc quitte Vaucouleurs pour aller rencontrer Charles VII à Chinon, 1886-1887, oil on canvas, hauteur : 420 cm ; largeur : 320 cm, hôtel de Ville de Vaucouleurs.

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel, Her Appeal to the Dauphin (Joan of Arc series: II), 1906, oil and gold leaf on canvas, overall: 75.57 × 170.18 cm (29 3/4 × 67 in.), framed: 98.11 × 191.77 × 9.53 cm (38 5/8 × 75 1/2 × 3 3/4 in.), National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Collection, 2015.19.35

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel, The Maid in Armor on Horseback (Joan of Arc series: III), c. 1908-late 1909, oil and gold leaf on canvas, overall: 75.57 × 171.45 cm (29 3/4 × 67 1/2 in.), framed: 97.79 × 193.04 × 10.16 cm (38 1/2 × 76 × 4 in.), National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Collection, 2015.19.36

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel, The Turmoil of Conflict (Joan of Arc series: IV), c. late 1909-early 1913, oil and gold leaf on canvas, overall: 75.57 × 172.72 cm (29 3/4 × 68 in.), framed: 99.06 × 196.85 × 10.16 cm (39 × 77 1/2 × 4 in.)), National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Collection, 2015.19.37

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvel, The Crowning at Rheims of the Dauphin (Joan of Arc series: V), 1907, oil and gold leaf on canvas, overall: 75.57 × 178.44 cm (29 3/4 × 70 1/4 in.), framed: 97.79 × 202.25 × 10.16 cm (38 1/2 × 79 5/8 × 4 in.), National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Collection, 2015.19.38

Christian Tzurcanu. Playlist.

"Le Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc 0" Posted September 5, 2024. 0:03:54.
"Le Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc 1" Posted September 4, 2024. 0:03:36.
"Le Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc 2" Posted September 6, 2024. 0:04:01.
"Le Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc 3" Posted September 7, 2024. 0:03:14.
"Le Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc 4" Posted September 7, 2024. 0:03:29.
"Le Ditié de Jehanne d'Arc 5" Posted September 7, 2024. 0:05:32.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd3owqXusJI&list=PLrZFPVQM38MfVYd44GKUhsY57PCfeEr0f

A Stone from the Prison of Joan of Arc. Photograph by Daniel Yarian, 4 Oct. 2024 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C.

Hermann Anton Stilke, Tod von Johanna von Arc auf dem Scheiterhaufen, 1843, oil on canvas, 119.5 × 83.5 cm, Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia

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A Timeline of Joan of Arc