Yesterday was the day of memory of Jeanne d "Arc. Below are the monuments and paintings that met 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 Jeanne 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, from the moment of beatification and being considered a saint, enough “sacred” images have appeared, but at the same time, after getting to know her life, it is impossible to imagine any other monument except very simple ones.
Notre-Dame de Paris
2. Rouen. The cathedral. A very simple altar.
4. Rouen seems to be very fond of making faience. The theme of Jeanne d'Arc did not pass him either, although here she is depicted in some kind of cartoon form. In addition, of course, everything that can and cannot be called by her name, although, it seems to me, I manage to resist quite well.
5. Wall of the Rouen Cathedral. It also has a "history", a multimedia-museum, but it is said to be mostly cinematographic in French (translation is available). There is supposedly something else in Place du Vieux-Marche, but it is not clear where.
6. Place du Vieux-Marche - the place where Jeanne d'Arc was burned. Now there is a modern church, a high memorial cross (without inscriptions) and this simple sculpture. A small flower garden is now laid out at the place of execution.
7. The church was supposed to resemble tongues of flame, it has a peculiar shape.
8. Inside the Church of Jeanne d "Arc
10. Notre Dame de Paris.
11. Orleans. Aside from the station, there is the Paroisse Saint Paterne church, where a) there are absolutely no tourists and, as a result, tourist tinsel and don’t even come across begging boxes and b) its own statue of Joan of Arc.
12. There are signs with thanks next to her.
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 Jeanne, but the style of the city (with the street Jeanne d'Arc and everything possible to name Jeanne d'Arc) generally does not leave much choice for the style of the city.
14. Statue in Martroi Square. (Denis Foyatier)
18. Modern reconstruction of the house where Jeanne lived for some time during the events in Orleans. Unfortunately, the multimedia that is shown there is said to be poor. This is such a misfortune: the stronger the image, the worse it is reproduced.
19. Church of the Miracles of the Virgin Mary (modern building in the old place). There Jeanne prayed after the siege of Orleans was lifted.
20. Iconography
21. A simple altar
22. Peculiar frescoes
24. The Cathedral of Orleans, of course, also did not pass over the theme of Jeanne. In general, it seems that the whole city is one big monument.
26. One of the cathedral's stained-glass windows, where the biography of Jeanne d'Arc is embodied. Alas, the postcards from the cathedral do not really convey the whole effect.
27. Monument in Orleans Cathedral
28. Bas-reliefs of the lower part of the altar / monument in Orleans Cathedral
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 a “room of Jeanne d“ Arc. ”On the wall is a copy of Ingres's painting, for some reason in different armor.
36. Museum of Fine Arts of Orleans. Jean Jacques SCHERRER, 1887.
38. Of course, cafes and others are actively using the name.
39. In the parking lot directly under the statue is the old gate of Orleans, through which she entered the city. No signs, no signs, thanks to the attentive people on the tripadvisor.
40. Louvre.
41. Jeanne at Domréme, Orsay Museum.
Thank you for the attention.
Monument to Jeanne d'Arc in Domremy-la-Pucelle Jeanne d'Arc - the famous Virgin of Orleans - was born into an ordinary poor peasant family, in the town of Domremy. This happened in 1412 - on Christmas night on January 6th. There is a legend that in Domremi at dawn the roosters woke the villagers with an extraordinary amazing cry, announcing a new joy. However, this is just [...]
- the famous Virgin of Orleans - was born into an ordinary poor peasant family, in the town Domremy... This happened in 1412 - on Christmas night on January 6th. There is a legend that in Domremi at dawn the roosters woke the villagers with an extraordinary amazing cry, announcing a 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 tough for France. Rightful Heir to the Throne - Dauphin Charles VII- the future king - was removed from power. Under the Treaty of Troyes, the ruler of France became Henry V- the English king. In fact, the French state joined England. The queen was tacitly accused of this. Isabella of Bavaria... A prophecy spread among the people that promised: if a woman ruined France, then the Virgin will save her.
According to the recollections of Jeanne herself, at the age of 12 she had a vision. A shining cloud arose, from which the voice of the Heavenly King 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 Jeanne every day. She was visited by visions of the saints - the Archangel Michael, Catherine and Margarita.
On March 6, 1429, a young girl in a man's dress came to the Chinon castle and won 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 free Orleans. The date of the liberation of the city is considered to be 05/08/1429. In Orleans, this day has been dedicated to Jeanne d'Arc for many centuries.
Napoleon Bonaparte, who was well versed in combat strategies, admitted that Jeanne was a genius in military affairs.
After the siege of Orleans was lifted, controversy broke out in the Royal Council. Jeanne convinced everyone of the need to march to Reims with the aim of the coronation of Charles VII. This would be the de facto proclamation of French independence. The courtiers objected, but Jeanne managed to convince the Council. The campaign was successful, the release of Troyes decided the outcome of the company. The army of the Virgin 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 17 July. Jeanne was also present with a military banner in her hands.
In August, the royal army tried to take Paris but was defeated. The newly minted king behaved strangely. Instead of another offensive, he concluded a truce with the Burgundians. On January 21, 1930, the army was disbanded. Jeanne's detachment continued to fight, but began to suffer defeats - one after another. When an attempt was made to free 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. It was rumored that the girl was betrayed by the associates of 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 Château Bouvray, then transferred to a cell. There she was kept 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 Virgin of Orleans, a struggle began with new weapons and other opponents. 132 members of the tribunal opposed her. She was asked dozens of questions every day. She was accused of wearing a man's dress, and of visions - supposedly devilish, and of seducing the king. The main charge 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 had been enthroned by an impious heretic and a sorceress.
Still, they decided to give up torture. For Jeanne, a “formula” of renunciation was invented and written down - refusal to wear men's clothing and prophetic visions. On pain of death, the girl signed the abdication protocol. She was sentenced to life imprisonment, transferred to an old cell and again shackled. Later, in prison, a man's dress was thrown to her. 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 that, Jeanne announced that she was refusing her renunciation, that she was ashamed of apostasy and betrayal of her own ideals.
The Tribunal signed the order for her extradition to the secular authorities.
In 1431, at dawn, on May 30, Jeanne d'Arc, dressed in a long dress and a hat, was taken out of prison and put into a carriage.
The fire in the Rouen Market Square burned for several hours. When everything 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 him several times. Then he put everything that was left in a sack and threw Jeanne's heart into the Seine.
Twenty-five years later, a new trial took place. 115 witnesses were heard there. Jeanne was rehabilitated, she was recognized as a national heroine. In 1920, the Roman Church proclaimed Joan a saint. Her mission to save France was recognized as true.
How do I save on hotels?
It's very simple - look not only at the booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He is looking for discounts on Booking and 70 other booking sites at the same time.
Among the many architectural and historical monuments in Paris, the Pyramids Square is mentioned in passing, and in tourist routes it is rarely indicated. However, almost everyone who travels to Paris visits this place due to its convenient location. Lovers of antiquities, park architecture and shopaholics pass through a small rectangular square.
Place Pyramids is located between the three most placed objects of the capital of France. It is overlooked by Rue de Rivoli, the Tuileries garden and the eponymous street of the Pyramids.
Despite its small size, the area of the Pyramids, like most historical sites, has its own history, legends and sights.
History of the Pyramids Square
Pyramids Square
The history of any place in Paris goes back many centuries, from the founding of the city to the present day. Many events are associated with a small square in the center of Paris.
What happened here if you go down the historical staircase down?
1. France is famous for its patriotism, and most of the topographic names in the country are associated with historical events. The Pyramids Square was created in 1802 and got its name in honor of the victorious campaign of Napoleon in Egypt in 1798, during which the French defeated the Mamluk troops at the pyramids. The nearby Rivoli Street also bears its name in memory of the victory over the Austrian troops in 1797.
2. Before the reign of Napoleon, the surrounding areas were occupied by intricate streets with original names - Blurred Coin, Dishonest. All these slums were destroyed by Bonaparte as sources of all kinds of dangers, and in their place were created straight avenues with beautiful houses of the same type.
3. Even earlier, at the end of the 16th century, on the site where the Pyramids Square is located today, there was an Academy for teaching equestrian riding, founded by the royal groom, who faithfully served the three kings.
4. According to semi-historical, semi-legendary information, at this place in 1429 there were troops besieging Paris, Jeanne D'Arc fought and was wounded.
Monument to Jeanne D'Arc
Monument to Jeanne D'Arc in Paris
The central place on the square is occupied by the equestrian statue of the legendary French virgin. The monument was erected in 1874, when the country was hardly recovering from the defeats in the war with Prussia and the defeat of the Second Empire. In order to comfort national pride, the French government turned to heroic pages of history. In 1870, a sculptor was commissioned to create the monument. Emmanuelle Fremier... To cope with this patriotic task, he used all the techniques. Therefore, the peasant girl Jeanne is depicted standing in stirrups on a hot war horse, in knightly armor, with a proudly flying banner. For greater solemnity, all this is covered with a thick layer of gilding. The choice of the area was associated with the alleged place of injury to Jeanne D'Arc.
If you look closely at the monument, you will notice that the sculptor paid more attention to the figure of the horse, while the rider was created somewhat schematically and even clumsy. The expression on the legendary warrior's face is so crude that it is impossible to define and describe her feelings.
During the creation of the monument, the sculptor tried several times to overcome the visual effect, according to which the proportions are violated, and the viewers see the horse much larger than the rider. For this, the figure of the heroine had to be enlarged several times during manufacture. And yet, after the installation of the monument, after 2 years, Fremier replaced the statue of the horse with a smaller copy, which he made by order of one of the provincial cities.
The history of the monument did not end there. Another page was added by the Germans who occupied Paris during the Second World War. They restored and once again covered the entire sculpture with gilding. Historians attribute this action to two different reasons. On the one hand, Lorraine (the province in which Jeanne d'Arc was born) ceded to Germany, and the Germans have the right to consider the heroine their compatriot. On the other hand, this step was made as a kind of apology to the occupied country, as if “gilding the pill”.
The French do not bypass the monument even today. Demonstrations of a patriotic character and protests are taking place at its foot. Every year on May 1, representatives of the "National Front" gather here, advocating for France for the French.
The Parisians themselves admit that the artistic value of the sculpture is minimal, but they treat it carefully and with due respect, like any historical monument.
As a reminder to the tourist: it is better to photograph the statue in cloudy weather, since the glare of the sun on the gilding will ruin any picture.
Paris pyramids
The famous "pyramids"
The name of the Pyramids Square turned out to be prophetic: after more than a hundred years, pyramids did appear here.
In 1989, an American architect Yo-ming-pei, born in China, creates structures in Europe, the form of which was invented in Africa.
The idea of the appearance of the pyramids is associated with the date of the celebration by France of two hundred years from the beginning of the French Revolution. By this date, it was decided to transform the Louvre into a museum: new buildings were added to it, disturbing and moving even the Ministry of Finance.
But such a difficulty interfered with the constant queues of visitors that arose at the entrance to the museum premises. Reconstruction of museum buildings was needed to expand their capabilities and capacity.
The most controversial idea was to create a high-tech glass pyramid structure on the square. But this project nevertheless won, because it combined a whole range of advantages:
Unique functionality to accommodate various services and visitors;
The glass structure does not obstruct the historical buildings of the palaces;
Includes traditional features such as fountains and pools;
Illuminates the square and buildings at night;
It makes the most of the area under the ground, leaving free areas adjacent to the Louvre.
Pyramids Square
Getting to the Pyramids Square, tourists see in front of them a complex consisting of a large transparent glass pyramid surrounded by pools with babbling fountains. The height of the main structure is about 22 m. There are also 3 small pyramids around. The combination of glass and water makes all structures light, not cluttering up the space, therefore, the dissonance of the palace and ultramodern architecture is largely softened.
From a practical point of view, the pyramidal structure is the entrance to museum complex Louvre. In the underground levels there are technical rooms, cafes, shops, cloakroom, walkways and other services. There is also an exposition on the history of the museum. Thanks to the glass dome trick, visitors can see the sky at all times while underground. The architect proclaimed the unity of the earth and the sky as the main idea of his construction, therefore the effect of heaven under the ground is emphasized in the design of the premises.
Three small pyramids serve not so much a decorative function as serve as sources of natural light for the underground galleries between the buildings.
Inside there is a fifth, inverted, or descending pyramid that brings daylight to the rooms below.
During the construction of the pyramids, various unique technologies were used, including:
Glass that will not turn yellow or cloudy over time, but will retain its transparency;
Economical lighting with a cool glow effect;
Modern escalators, artificial climate, etc.
Parisian "pyramids"
Designed for such prosaic purposes as dispersing the flow of visitors, the pyramid has now become one of the Louvre's excursion sites. A particularly active pilgrimage began after the release of the book and film “ The Da Vinci Code».
Tourist memo: in order to get to the Louvre through the Pyramid, you also need to stand in line, so it is better to use other, less popular entrances, and already leave the museum to the Pyramids square.
Buildings surrounding the historic monument
Place of the Pyramids is one of the smaller squares in Paris. It looks closed due to the fact that it is surrounded on several sides by the same buildings. They are characterized by European architecture with narrow windows, multi-level mansards, traditional blinds. A feature of the buildings on the square and on Rue de Rivoli are deep arcades, which are not often found in urban architecture. Thanks to them, you can walk around the square and visit shops, cafes and shops in any weather. The buildings make up an integral architectural ensemble.
One of the buildings, which is located on Pyramids Square, is a hotel Regina paris... This operating hotel is a historical monument. Its opening was timed to coincide with the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. The inside of the building is decorated in accordance with the traditions of the past centuries. The interior combines pieces of antique furniture, wood carved panels and doors, twisted figured cast iron grilles. This style is called "Belle Époque". You don't have to check in to admire the hotel; you can simply enter the lobby.
Hotel Regina Paris
After walking around the city, you can relax here, stepping straight from the square into the Tuileries Gardens, which Parisians love so much. Right in the center of the capital of France, there are 28 hectares filled not with houses, but with trees, sculptures, swimming pools.
Tuileries Garden in Paris
Place of the Pyramids is a small fragment of Paris, but many are associated with it. memorable places and historical events.
Did you like the article? to always be in the know.
Early in the morning we left Honfleur, planning to see ancient Rouen in the afternoon, and in the evening to visit the house-museum of Claude Monet in Giverny. I planned 4 hours for the tour of Rouen. In principle, you can spend the whole day there. But we didn’t want to go to museums, we didn’t want to see all the sights, our desire was to get acquainted with the architecture, feel the atmosphere of one of the key cities in France and move on.
| Very typical Rouen |
The plans did not come true in full, but more on that later.
Rouen occupies an important place in France, rich in historical events and outstanding cities.
Rouen originated in the days of the ancient Romans near a stone bridge built across the Seine. The fact is that only at this place it was technologically possible to build a bridge connecting the banks of the river. Constant tides made it possible for even heavy ships to reach here, which contributed to the economic and cultural development of the city.
 |
During the Middle Ages, Rouen was one of the largest and most prosperous centers in Europe. The city was one of the capitals of the powerful Anglo-Norman dynasty, which simultaneously ruled England and most of modern France for four whole centuries - from the 11th to the 15th century. In Rouen, William the Conqueror died in 1087, in Rouen, Jeanne d "Arc, adored by the French, was burned at the stake in 1431.
 |
| Jeanne in Notre Dame. Rouen |
Today Rouen is the historic capital of Normandy and the fifth largest port in France. Just like in Paris, the Seine divides the city into two parts: Rive Gauche (left bank) and Rive Droite (right bank). Old city located on the right bank. We parked on the waterfront on the left bank where free parking was allowed.
 |
| Rouen. Hay |
My impression of Rouen - from complete rejection - a lot of clochards and "come in large numbers", some wretched modern houses, a wild flea that resembles a sale of trash to beggars, to complete delight - huge blocks of medieval fakhtvert houses, or bourgeois streets and squares, amazing cathedrals beauty. A very controversial city.
In Rouen, one of the best cathedrals I have seen in my life is Notre Dame. Photos do not convey its airiness and delicacy. It's a pity. This is the time to see. The same impressionists painted the cathedral endlessly. Stained-glass windows were badly damaged during the war. It's a pity too. Highly.
 |
Cathedral of Notre Dame (La Cathedrale Notre-Dame) was built in the XII century, in its choral part buried the heart of Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy. It is the cathedral with the tallest spire in all of France. This fact is funny - on the south side of the Church of Notre Dame is the Oil Tower. They called it that because funds were invested in its construction, received from grateful citizens who were allowed to eat oil during the fast. Like this.
 |
 |
And on the square in front of the cathedral there is a building, from the windows of which Claude Monet painted canvases of his famous series "Rouen Cathedral". Now there is a tourism office.
 |
 |
Not far from the cathedral is the Church of Saint-Maclou (Eglise Saint-Maclou), also a very beautiful building. Unfortunately, the facade did not fit into the camera.
Built since 1437, the saint's church is a masterpiece of the flaming Gothic style. The doors of the 16th century central entrance are decorated with carvings on biblical themes. The Church of Saint Maclou is located next to the quarter of antiquaries, where some of Rouen's most beautiful half-timbered houses are located. By the way, please note, As a rule, the upper floors of half-upper houses are slightly wider than the lower ones. This is to prevent rainwater from damaging the beams at the base of the house.
 |
| Rouen. Fakhtwerk part |
 |
 |
 |
Behind the temple is a garden (Gardens of the Hotel de Ville). It is very symbolic, all the way we were accompanied by cherry blossoms. As many as 2 weeks! And that night all the cherry blossoms fell off. And so the pink snow lay in the garden behind the Church of Saint-Ouen, hinting to us that all good things come to an end, and soon home ...
 |
 |
| Rouen. Cherry blossom pink snow |
And the street is here, in this district with the "correct" houses.
 |
The symbol of the city is also the Le Gros-Horloge tower with a clock tower, the clockwork of which, by the way, worked without a single breakdown from the 14th century until 1928. This is the second tower clock in the world. The first were installed in English city Salisbury. And another curious fact: the watch only has hour hand... Minutes during the Middle Ages were of no particular interest to anyone. Those were good times! Currently, the watch is powered by an electric motor. But all the internal and external parts remained the same.
 |
 |
| Rouen. Le Gros-Horloge. Bottom view |
 |
 |
| Rouen. Church of Jeanne d "Arc |
Continuing the theme of Jeanne d "Arcs, there is also a tower where they kept Jeanne in captivity. Surprisingly, she saved herself. Nearby is a monument to those who died in the war. Flowers, an eternal flame ...
 |
| Rouen. In the museum. |
 |
| Here it is, the territory of the museum. |
 |
What struck the most about Rouen was the already mentioned mixture of beauty and slovenliness. My husband did not like the city. I was fascinated. Even the "new" part of the right bank is good, really! Take a look
 |
| Rouen. The part is almost new, bourgeois |
 |
| Very, very modern Rouen |
Rouen has two metro lines and three TEOR (Transport Est-Ouest Rouennais) lines - T1, T2, T3, which connect the city center with suburban areas on both banks of the Seine. We didn't use them.
But the map of the central part of the city, quite detailed, use:
Rouen map:
| Rouen map from www.orangesmile.com |
The French in a special way love to sing the praises of their national heroes. The gilded statue of Joan of Arc in Paris is a vivid proof of this. Glittering in the sun or in the light of evening lanterns, this statue reminds onlookers passing by of the equally bright but tragic fate of a young French woman of the 15th century. Although various monuments to Jeanne d'Arc have been erected in Paris and many other cities in France, the statue in the Place des Pyramids near the Louvre is the most famous and impressive.
The life and death of a famous Frenchwoman
It is believed that Jeanne d'Arc was born in 1412 in the village of Domrime during the Hundred Years War between England and France. At the age of 17, Jeanne became the leader of the French army. In April 1429, the military detachment of Jeanne d'Arc liberated Orleans, for which she received the nickname of the Maid of Orleans. Over the following months, the troops under her command won numerous victories over the British.
In May 1430, as a result of betrayal, she was captured by the British. A year later, Jeanne d'Arc was convicted of heresy and wearing men's clothing and sentenced to be burned at the stake in Rouen. A few decades later, her trial was declared illegal, and in 1920 Catholic Church canonized the French woman.
History of the statue in Pyramids square
An equestrian statue of Jeanne d'Arc was placed in the Place of the Pyramids in 1874. This place was not chosen by chance, since it is believed that here Jeanne was seriously wounded in the battle for Paris. Emanuel Framier worked on the creation of the statue - famous sculptor that time. The pedestal for her was designed by the architect Paul Abadi.
As a model, the sculptor chose Aimee Girod, a girl from the village of Domremi, the homeland of Jeanne d'Arc. The master strove to convey in his work the extraordinary determination and fearlessness of the national heroine.
But it is obvious that the sculptor was not quite familiar with the laws of optical perception. Since to the observer from below, the figure of the rider seemed too small in relation to the horse. In this regard, the bronze "Jeanne" was subsequently made larger.
Some critics believe that this monument is not the best image of the Maid of Orleans. But the most popular. Due to its convenient location near the Louvre and its golden glow, the statue on the Place de la Pyramids is a favorite attraction of thousands of Parisian visitors. And various political movements annually hold patriotic rallies near the monument.
How to get there
Address: 4 Place des Pyramides, Paris 75001Underground: Tuileries, Pyramides
Bus: Pyramides / Tuileries, Pyramides - Saint-Honore
Updated: 06.11.2018
