The Maid of Orléans
Joan of Arc
c. 1412 - 1431
"I am not afraid... I was born to do this."
Biography
A peasant girl from medieval France, Joan of Arc believed she was divinely guided to lead the French army in a momentous victory at Orléans during the Hundred Years' War. Her success boosted French morale and paved the way for the coronation of Charles VII.
Legacy
Captured and executed for heresy at the age of 19, she was later exonerated and canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. She has since become one of the patron saints of France and an enduring symbol of faith and national pride.