Joan of Arc in Paris. Church of Joan of Arc

05.03.2024

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Monument to Joan of Arc

Where the streets of Rivoli (named in honor of Napoleonic's battle in Piedmont) and Pyramides (in honor of his battles in Egypt) intersect, there is a wonderful monument in a small square, dazzling with sunlight on a bright day. This is a monument to a girl who lived a short and amazing life six centuries ago - Joan of Arc

After the humiliating defeat of Bismarck in 1870 and the loss of territories (and the defeat was really difficult: Parisians, accustomed to meeting the enemy breaking into the city, sitting in cafes and brasserie and discussing the bad taste in the uniforms of the occupying cavalrymen, this time they were severely starving after a long Prussian siege )…

... the government, having killed the communards and licked its wounds, realized the acute shortage of some uplifting story that would inspire the people to reconquista.

At this moment, agitprop blows the dust off the materials of the Joan of Arc case and begins to promote the image (everything worked out very well, since she was born in Lorraine, part of which has now gone to the Germans). Monuments to Joan the Virgin, as she called herself, appear in the squares of almost all cities in France, and with her canonization in 1920, churches also fill the monuments.

Have you read it? then let's continue.

Breaking away from the imposed images, we will try to calmly figure everything out. The life story of this girl is one of the most documented biographies of that time (early 15th century), especially considering that she was a simple peasant woman. At the age of 17, Zhanna comes to the head of the garrison of the town of Vaucouleurs and says that she will save France - she is escorted out. A year later, after thinking about it, she returns to the same place again, and now she is taken more seriously. They send her to the Dauphin (the future King Charles VII) and after a series of humiliating tests, she is appointed commander-in-chief (!). But that’s not all, the army wins battle after battle (!). After, of course, betrayal and the enemy’s trial of this child and at the same time the captive commander in chief. The consideration of the case lasts more than 3 months (!)...

... and all interrogations are fully documented (3 copies of the translation of the case materials into Latin have been preserved (one in the library of the French Assembly), certified by the seal of the chairman of the court). This is 600 years ago!

The Maid of Orleans was burned in Rouen on May 30, 1431, a year after her capture. She was 19. The Hundred Years' War lasted another 23 years and ended by delaying the end of the Valois dynasty for a century and a half. It is impossible not to admit, even with allowances for propaganda exaggerations, that this story is amazing and in some ways even fantastic.

Let's return to Pyramid Square. Rumor has it that somewhere here Joan was wounded in battle in 1429, but there is no evidence of this. The order for the monument was received by the animal sculptor Emmanuel Fremier. He found a suitable maiden and a horse in Lorraine, and in 1874 the monument took its place.

In those years, copies of the monument of various sizes quickly dispersed throughout the provinces, and Fremier was constantly tormented by something... he walks along the Rue de Rivoli - the hoof seems large, he walks along the Rue de Pyramides - the croup weighs heavily... it’s not for nothing that a man is an animalist.

In general, in 1899 the sculptor replaced the old big horse with a smaller copy of the one he made for the city of Nancy, which caused a storm of indignation among patriots and royalists. Now the royalists have been replaced by the fellows from the “National Front” Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter, demanding the expulsion of foreigners and rushing to the gilded Jeanne every May 1st.

Yesterday was the day of remembrance of Joan of Arc. Below are monuments and paintings that were found in various cities of France, from where I returned yesterday. I think it is logical to place them in this community, since there is a hope that the story of Joan will actually be of interest to many and in France it is quite possible to visit a number of places associated with her name.

I was very glad to see that most of the monuments to her are modest. Of course, since the moment of beatification and canonization, enough “sacred” images have appeared, but at the same time, after getting acquainted with her life, it is impossible to imagine any other monument than very simple ones.

Notre-Dame de Paris

2. Rouen. Cathedral. A very simple altar.

4. In Rouen they seem to be very fond of making earthenware. The theme of Joan of Arc did not escape him either, although here she is depicted in some kind of cartoon form. Besides this, of course, they try to call everything that can and cannot be named after her, although, it seems to me, they manage to resist quite well.

5. Wall of Rouen Cathedral. It also has a “historial” attached to it, a multimedia museum, but it is said to contain mostly films in French (translation is available). There is also supposedly something on the Place du Vieux-Marche, but it is unclear where.

6. Place du Vieux-Marche - the place where Joan of Arc was burned. Now there is a modern church, a tall memorial cross (without inscriptions) and this simple sculpture. At the site of the execution there is now a small flower garden.

7. The church was supposed to resemble tongues of flame; it has a peculiar shape.

8. Inside the Church of Joan of Arc

10. Notre-Dame de Paris.

11. Orleans. To the side of the station there is the Paroisse Saint Paterne church, where a) there are absolutely no tourists and, as a result, tourist tinsel and there are not even begging boxes and b) its own statue of Joan of Arc.

12. Next to her are signs with thanks.

13. Orleans is a very bright city. This is a heel on the pavement, which is used there instead of painted road markings. I can’t be one hundred percent sure that this is also Joan of Arc, but the style of the city (with the street of Joan of Arc and everything named after Joan of Arc) generally doesn’t leave much choice.

14. Statue on Martroi Square. (Denis Foyatier)

18. Modern reconstruction of the house where Jeanne lived for some time during the events in Orleans. Unfortunately, the multimedia shown there is said to be poor. This is generally such a problem: the stronger the image, the worse it is reproduced.

19. Church of the Miracles of the Virgin Mary (modern building on the old site). There Joan prayed after the siege of Orleans was lifted.

20. Iconography

21. Simple altar

22. Peculiar frescoes

24. Orleans Cathedral, of course, was also not spared the theme of Joan. In general, it seems that the whole city is one big monument.

26. One of the stained glass windows of the cathedral, where the biography of Joan of Arc is embodied. Alas, postcards from the cathedral are so-so and do not really convey the full effect.

27. Monument in the Cathedral of Orleans

28. Bas-reliefs of the lower part of the altar\monument in the Cathedral of Orleans

30. Former city hall, Hotel Groslot. A 19th-century statue damaged in the 1944 battles for the liberation of Orleans.

33. In Groslot there is “Joan of Arc’s room.” On the wall is a copy of Ingres’s painting, for some reason in different armor.

36. Orleans Museum of Fine Arts. Jean Jacques SCHERRER, 1887.

38. Of course, cafes, etc. actively use the name.

39. In the parking lot directly below the statue there is the old gate of Orleans, through which she entered the city. No signs, no signs, thanks to the attentive people on Tripadvisor.

40. Louvre.

41. Jeanne at Domremy, Orsay Museum.

Thank you for your attention.

The monument to Charlemagne, which was erected near the entrance to Notre-Dame de Paris, is called Charlemagne by Parisians - this is how the French phonetically transformed the Latin name Carolus Magnus (Carolus Magnus). The monument has a curious and slightly sad history.

The author of the composition, the hereditary sculptor Louis Rocher, spent ten years of his life on this colossal work. The monument became his last work: in 1878, shortly before the completion of the work, the sculptor died. Louis's business was taken over by his brother Charles, an artist and sculptor.

The younger brother had a difficult fate: he spent almost all his savings on finishing the monument, but he also needed a pedestal worthy of the work. The city authorities categorically refused to buy the statue and pay for the construction of the pedestal; they only allowed Charlemagne to be placed on the square in front of Notre Dame. Then Charles Rocher himself ordered a modest pedestal, and soon the builder sued, demanding to pay him 4,155 francs, which the sculptor did not have. The New York Times wrote on April 13, 1899: “Rocher is in a sad position... the only thing that the creditor can take in payment of the debt is the statue itself, on behalf of which the Paris press is now appealing to the city, the government and the public to stop the trial, which does not honor their artistic taste."

The artistic merits of the monument are debatable, but it is certainly interesting for its archaeologically accurate reproduction of the slightest details of the clothing and weapons of Charlemagne himself and his knights Roland and Olivier. Without a doubt, this was influenced by the peculiarities of the upbringing and education of Louis Rocher, who was also a scientist and a specialist in oriental languages. Thus, the sword hanging on Roland's hip is an exact reproduction of the original kept in Madrid. However, the figure of Charlemagne itself bears little correspondence to the original: it is known that the extremely tall (192 centimeters) monarch became very fat and bald in his old age. On a horse we see a slender, long-haired old man.

Although there was a scandal, the monument was installed in a prestigious place. This

Monument to Bishop Saint Denis in Montmartre

The monument to Bishop Saint Denis was erected in memory of the first bishop of Paris.

The monument is located in Montmartre, in the Suzanne Buisson square.

It is interesting that according to one version, Montmartre - the hill of the holy martyr - was named precisely in honor of the holy martyr Dionysius of Paris (Saint Denis). According to legend, Saint Dionysius was executed in Montmartre in 272, at a time when Christians were persecuted by pagan authorities. According to legend, after his execution, the beheaded Saint Denis walked about six kilometers north, preaching, with his severed head in his hands. Stopping, he pointed to the place where his remains should be buried. Later, the famous Abbey of Saint-Denis grew on this very spot.

The monument to the bishop represents Saint Dionysius with his own head in his hands. Previously, on the site of the statue there was the Saint Denis fountain, in which Saint Denis is believed to have washed his head.

Eiffel Monument

The Eiffel Monument is a small bronze bust depicting the popular French engineer and architect Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. The monument is located in Paris, at the base of one of the pillars of the Eiffel Tower - Eiffel's most successful project.

The Eiffel Monument is located under the famous tower and often attracts the attention of photographers and tourists. The bust is a neat bronze cast, covered with gilding and placed on a high concrete column. At the base of the monument the name of the famous engineer and the years of his life are engraved.

Of course, this small monument cannot compete in popularity with the famous Eiffel Tower, but it perfectly fulfills its function - it honors the brilliant designer who gave Paris its most famous landmark, which has become a real symbol of the French capital.

Monument to Marshal Ney

The monument to Marshal Ney was created by sculptor Francois Rud in 1853. It depicts one of the most famous marshals of the Napoleonic Wars era. The monument was erected at the site where the hero was executed. This sad event occurred on December 7, 1815. The decision to erect the monument was made in 1848, on March 8. According to press reports, at the site where it was decided to erect the monument, a whole mound of flowers, trophies and wreaths soon formed.

The statue was entrusted to the sculptor Francois Rud, and the construction of the pedestal was entrusted to the architect Alphonse de Gisors, the author of the Luxembourg Palace. Initially, Ryud planned to depict the moment of the marshal's execution; the hero was supposed to appear before the public with his head uncovered, pointing to the killers at his heart as a sign of contempt for death. However, Napoleon III did not support this idea, and then Ney was captured in glory, not in misfortune.

Due to the construction of the railway line, the monument was moved from the Paris suburb of Seo. Previously, it stood at the entrance to the subway.

Thomas Jefferson Monument

The Thomas Jefferson Monument is a beautiful bronze statue depicting prominent US politician and former American Ambassador to France Thomas Jefferson. The monument is located in the seventh arrondissement of Paris, in a picturesque location on the banks of the Seine.

The Thomas Jefferson Monument was erected in 2006 in honor of the 230th anniversary of the declaration of American independence. The statue was created by the popular French sculptor Jean Cardot. The monument is not particularly monumental - the statue is a little more than three meters high, and it is installed on a one and a half meter granite pedestal. The Founding Father of the United States is depicted with a fountain pen in his right hand, and in his left he holds a piece of paper.

Overall, the monument to Thomas Jefferson is a small but very pleasant decoration of the Parisian embankment. The statue is intended to symbolize the friendship between the United States and France, and it succeeds in this role.

Monument to Victor Naur

Monument to Victor Naur. In 1870, during a tragic duel with Prince Pierre Bonaparte, who popularly bore the title of a thug, the young journalist Victor Naur was shot, who in turn challenged the prince to a duel, thereby signing his own death warrant. However, his death was a great event that foreshadowed the fall of the Second Empire. 100 thousand people gathered for the funeral of the young journalist and it was decided to create a sculpture of Naur down to the smallest detail.

During his life, Victor Naur was a favorite of women, and almost everyone knew that he was an ardent lover and an incorrigible heartthrob, but nevertheless, everyone respected and loved him. And when the turn came to make a monument to him after his death, the sculptor, apparently as planned, made it so that even the fly of the monument was very noticeably convex. This is precisely what has become pagan worship among women who suffer from unrequited love, or who have been diagnosed with infertility. At the same time, each of the women, according to tradition, must stroke the magical place. According to the stories of many women who visited the monument to Victor Nauro, this helped them.

Monument to Henry IV

In memory of the great French king Henry IV, an equestrian statue was built in 1818. The sculptor Fran ois-Fr ric Lemot worked on the design of the monument. Thanks to this king, the Huguenot wars, which were fought as a result of religious differences, stopped in the country. With his “Edict of Nantes,” Henry IV gave the green light to freedom of religion for Protestants.

The monument is located at the western end of the Ile de la Cité. It was at this place that the king began his town-planning activities. The royal statue is a bronze composition of Henry IV in armor and a victorious laurel wreath, riding a horse. The monument is surrounded on both sides by a new bridge built during the reign of the king.

The statue of the king faces two houses on Dauphine Square, which were built according to the plan approved by the ruler.

Monument to Michel Montaigne

The Monument to Michel Montaigne is a small bronze statue located in the Latin Quarter of Paris, directly opposite the main building of the Sorbonne University. Many student superstitions and beliefs are associated with the statue; it is also very popular among tourists.

The monument was opened in Paris in 1933. The statue was made by the Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski, who depicted the famous Renaissance philosopher sitting on a pedestal in a relaxed pose, crossing his legs. Among Sorbonne students, there is a tradition of rubbing the bronze Montaigne's slipper before important exams in order to attract good luck. As a result, the tip of the right shoe of the monument is today polished to a mirror shine.

The monument to Michel Montaigne has been pleasing the eyes of passers-by for more than 80 years and helping careless students pass tests.

Monument to the Russian Expeditionary Force

The monument to the Cossacks (Russian expeditionary force) is located in the historical district of Paris - near the Alexander III Bridge and the Grand Palais, on the embankment of the Seine River. Its grand opening took place in 2011. The author of the majestic monument is the sculptors Surovtsevs, as well as the architects Syagins.

The monument was erected in memory of over 5,000 Russian soldiers who died in France during the First World War. The expeditionary force was sent by Russia to help the allies. Russian infantrymen took part in the defense of Champagne and especially distinguished themselves near Reims, when German troops were blocked from reaching the French capital.

On the basis of the sculptural composition depicting bronze figures of a Russian soldier and his war horse, there is a commemorative inscription in Russian. And on the granite pedestal there is a plaque with French text: “In memory of the Russian officers and soldiers who fought on French territory in the period 1916-1918. France and Russia are grateful."

Monument to Charles de Gaulle

The monument to Charles de Gaulle, the great French leader and general, was erected on the Champs Elysees in Paris. Not far from the Grand Palais, the first president of the Fifth Republic is captured walking confidently and proudly looking into the distance.

The installation date of the monument coincided with the thirtieth anniversary of his death in 2000. The 6-meter-high sculpture was created by Jacques Cardot. The great figure was captured at the moment of the parade in 1944.

The French call the site of the monument, located between the Pont Alexandre III and the Champs-Elysees, “Three Men Walking.” Monuments to Georges Clemenceau and Winston Churchill are also erected very close to each other.

Monument to Dalida in Montmartre

In Montmartre there is a monument to Dalida, a French singer and actress of Italian origin who was born and raised in Egypt. Her real name is Yolanda Cristina Gigliotti. She became the third girl whose monument was erected in Paris (after Sarah Bernhardt, the famous French actress and Joan of Arc). It rises on Dalida Square, which is also named after this famous singer.

Montmartre reminded Dalida of the East, where the singer grew up, which is why she immediately fell in love with him. Streets filled with fruit and vegetable stalls, with many cafeterias created for peace and enjoyment of life... Opposite is Place Pigalle with its night traffic, with the fun of music halls and cabarets, which the singer loved very much.

Fans from all over the world still come to the gates of the house where Dalida lived, and once a year, in early May, everyone can take part in an excursion to Montmartre to Dalida’s house.

Monument to Louis XIII

In 1829, a monument (equestrian statue) was erected to Louis XIII in Paris. It was erected on the site of a monument erected by Richelieu in 1639, but destroyed in 1792 (it was melted down during the revolution).

The monument is located on the Place des Vosges (French Place des Vosges) - one of the oldest squares in Paris. The two buildings on the sides of the square with higher mansard roofs are called the pavilions of the king and queen: here the common people celebrated the wedding of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria

Notre-Dame de Paris

2. Rouen. Cathedral. A very simple altar.

7. The church was supposed to resemble tongues of flame; it has a peculiar shape.

8. Inside the Church of Joan of Arc

10. Notre-Dame de Paris.

12. Next to her are signs with thanks.

14. Statue on Martroi Square. (Denis Foyatier)

19. Church of the Miracles of the Virgin Mary (modern building on the old site). There Joan prayed after the siege of Orleans was lifted.

20. Iconography

21. Simple altar

22. Peculiar frescoes

24. Orleans Cathedral, of course, was also not spared the theme of Joan. In general, it seems that the whole city is one big monument.

26. One of the stained glass windows of the cathedral, where the biography of Joan of Arc is embodied. Alas, postcards from the cathedral are so-so and do not really convey the full effect.

27. Monument in the Cathedral of Orleans

28. Bas-reliefs of the lower part of the altar\monument in the Cathedral of Orleans

30. Former city hall, Hotel Groslot. A 19th-century statue damaged in the 1944 battles for the liberation of Orleans.

33. In Groslot there is “Joan of Arc’s room.” On the wall is a copy of Ingres’s painting, for some reason in different armor.

36. Orleans Museum of Fine Arts. Jean Jacques SCHERRER, 1887.

38. Of course, cafes, etc. actively use the name.

39. In the parking lot directly below the statue there is the old gate of Orleans, through which she entered the city. No signs, no signs, thanks to the attentive people on Tripadvisor.

40. Louvre.

41. Jeanne at Domremy, Orsay Museum.

Thank you for your attention.

Monument to Joan of Arc in Domremy-la-Pucelle Joan of Arc, the famous Maid of Orleans, was born into an ordinary poor peasant family in the town of Domremy. This happened in 1412 - on Christmas night, January 6th. There is a legend that in Domremi, at dawn, roosters woke up the villagers with an unusual, amazing cry, announcing new joy. However, this is just [...]

- the famous Maid of Orleans - was born into an ordinary poor peasant family, in the town of Domremy. This happened in 1412 - on Christmas night, January 6th. There is a legend that in Domremi, at dawn, roosters woke up the villagers with an unusual, amazing cry, announcing new joy. However, this is just a legend - there are no documentary chronicles of such an event.

Zhanna lived with her parents and two brothers. The Hundred Years' War was going on. Times were hard for France. The rightful heir to the throne is the Dauphin Charles VII- the future king - was removed from power. The ruler of France under the Treaty of Troyes became Henry V- English king. In fact, the French state was annexing England. The queen was secretly accused of this Isabella of Bavaria. A prophecy spread among the people, promising: if a woman destroyed France, then the Virgin would save her.

According to the recollections of Zhanna herself, at the age of 12 she had a vision. A shining cloud appeared, from which the voice of the King of Heaven was heard. He called her the chosen one and ordered her to act - to go and lift the siege from the city of Orleans. Voices began to appear to Zhanna every day. She was visited by visions of saints - Archangel Michael, Catherine and Margaret.

On March 6, 1429, a young girl in a man's dress came to the castle of Chinon and sought an audience with Charles VII. She managed to convince the Dauphin, and she was entrusted with a military detachment. This detachment under her leadership inflicted several crushing blows on the British. The siege was lifted. It took Jeanne's detachment nine days to liberate Orleans. The date of liberation of the city is considered to be 05/08/1429. In Orleans, this day has been dedicated to Joan of Arc for many centuries.

Napoleon Bonaparte, who had an excellent understanding of battle strategies, recognized that Joan was a military genius.

After the siege of Orleans was lifted, disputes began in the Royal Council. Jeanne convinced everyone of the need to march on Reims for the coronation of Charles VII. This would be a de facto declaration of French independence. The courtiers objected, but Jeanne managed to convince the Council. The campaign was successful, the liberation of Troyes decided the outcome of the company. The army of the Maid of Orleans covered three hundred kilometers in three weeks.

Joan of Arc at the coronation of Charles VII (Dominique Ingres, 1780-1867)

The coronation took place at Reims Cathedral on July 17. Jeanne was also present there with a military banner in her hands.

In August, the royal army tried to take Paris but was defeated. The newly made king behaved strangely. Instead of another offensive, he concluded a truce with the Burgundians. On January 21, 1930, the army was disbanded. Jeanne's squad continued to fight, but began to suffer defeats - one after another. While trying to liberate Compiegne, on May 23, 1430, the detachment was captured by the Burgundians during a sortie. Six months later they handed Jeanne over to the British. All this time she was waiting for help from the French government - but in vain.

So Jeanne ended up in English captivity. She was eighteen years old. There were rumors that the girl was betrayed by those close to Charles VII, for whom she fought.

The tower in Rouen where Joan of Arc was imprisoned.

In Rouen she was kept in a cage in the basement of the Bouvreuil Castle, then transferred to a cell. She was kept there, chained to the wall. The trial began in January 1431. The Inquisition brought charges against Joan of Arc on twelve counts. In the life of the Maid of Orleans, a struggle began with new weapons and other opponents. 132 members of the tribunal spoke out against her. Every day she was asked dozens of questions. She was accused of wearing a man's dress, and of visions - allegedly of the devil, and of seducing the king. The main accusation was her refusal to submit to the mainstream church.

In Paris, at the same time, Henry VI was declared monarch of France and England. Therefore, the court in Rouen had to prove that Charles VII was elevated to the throne by an unholy heretic and witch.

Still, they decided to refuse torture. For Jeanne, they came up with and wrote down a “formula” of renunciation - refusal to wear men’s clothing and prophetic visions. Under pain of death, the girl signed a protocol of renunciation. She was sentenced to life imprisonment, transferred to the old cell and again shackled. Later, in prison, she was given a man's dress. It was a provocation.

Perhaps Jeanne was forced to put on this costume again, or maybe she did it voluntarily - but in the eyes of the churchmen this meant a return to heresy. After this, Jeanne declared that she was renouncing her renunciation, that she was ashamed of her apostasy and betrayal of her own ideals.

The tribunal signed the decision to extradite her to secular authorities.

In 1431, at dawn on May 30, Joan of Arc, dressed in a long dress and cap, was taken out of prison and put into a carriage.

The fire in Rouen's market square burned for several hours. When it was finally over, Jeanne's executioner came to the Dominican monastery. He repented and cried. The executioner said that Jeanne’s heart did not burn even after he collected coals around it several times. Then he put everything that was left in the bag and threw Jeanne's heart into the Seine.

Twenty-five years later a new trial took place. It heard 115 witnesses. Zhanna was rehabilitated and was recognized as a national heroine. In 1920, the Roman Church declared Joan a saint. Her mission to save France was recognized as true.

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