Religion April 2013 | Page 16

Joan of Arc Memorial

4 Facts

- At the time of her execution, an English soldier constructed a small wooden cross which she put on the front of her dress

- After she died, the coals were raked back, exposing her body, so nobody could say she had escaped

- Her body was then burned twice more, to prevent collection of relics

- Her ashes were thrown into the Seine

Joan of Arc, folk heroine of France and Roman Catholic saint, was burned at the stake in the Place de Vieux-Marche in Rouen, France in 1431. She has become an inspiration to countless politicians throughout the world and of course, writers and artists for centuries.

painting by Frank Dicksee

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