Equestrian statue of jeanne d arc. Statue of Jeanne d'Arc. Monument to Dalida in Montmartre

Every year, on the last week of May, young girls shower the Seine with flowers in memory of their national heroine, the Maid of Orleans, Jeanne d'Arc. For several centuries, the Norman city of Rouen has been asking forgiveness to the whole world for the death that took place in 1431 on the Old Market Square. It was there that the young patriot Jeanne d'Arc was burnt alive. According to one of the legends, the flame that engulfed the Virgin of Orleans could not overcome the girl's heart. The French believed in her holiness long before the brave girl was canonized by the Catholic Church.

Today Rouen is a kind of museum dedicated to Jeanne d'Arc. Squares, streets, bridges and even cafes - these places cherish the memory of the national heroine. In Rouen there is also the famous tower, in which the captured Jeanne was waiting for her death. The brave girl, thanks to whom the siege of Orleans was lifted, with whose help the French army believed in its strength, was accused first of heresy, and later - of witchcraft. In the very heart of the Old Market Square, the great French heroine was executed - this place is marked with a cross, laid out with five stones.

Panoramic walk through the streets near the Church of Jeanne d'Arc

The name of Jeanne d'Arc is a church built on the site of the execution. It was erected in 1979 on the ruins of the Church of St. Vincent, which was destroyed after the events of the Second World War. Louis Arrech worked on the project.

Every tourist who finds himself next to the majestic building is covered with a sea of ​​emotions from what he saw. No one can say for sure what it looks like by observing the asymmetric forms of the church. To many, Jeanne d'Arc's church resembles an inverted ship - this is the most common version. From a bird's eye view, someone sees a huge slope in this structure, and the long tail is especially clearly visible. The building, symbolizing courage, valor and patriotism, never ceases to amaze and delight.

Church of Jeanne d'Arc is a large architectural complex, which includes a cult building and a market after which the square is named. The first thing that falls on the eye when you find yourself at the place of worship of the ascetic of the French land is a huge dome, reminiscent of a bonfire, on which a great martyr burned in the fire of hatred. What makes this building special is its cover, which looks like scales - so it is somewhat similar to a huge crocodile with a long tail.

Why does the Church of Jeanne d'Arc remind many people of an upside-down ship? Once inside, you will be surprised. Look at the ceiling of the church - it actually looks like the deck of a ship propped up by huge, massive columns. The marine theme is complemented by images of fish on the wall. According to one of the hypotheses common in France, the church in the form of a ship was erected to remind of the importance of the sea and the river Seine.

Church of Jeanne d'Arc on the map

The decoration of the Church of Jeanne d'Arc is rightfully considered a stained-glass wall, assembled from the remains of the stained-glass window of the predecessor church, which was bombed during the war. Shimmering in the night light, this magnificent composition tells the story of Jesus Christ. The Church is always ready to open significant pages of history, to open the veil of secrets to everyone.

Inside the building is a sculpture of Jeanne d'Arc herself. She always glows from hundreds of candles, which are put here by not indifferent parishioners, thanks to the great Frenchwoman for her courage and courage.

More than 6 and a half centuries have passed since the execution of Joan of Arc. Much has changed in the world since that time. Heretics remained in the distant past, and witchcraft is not punishable by death. The Virgin of Orleans proudly and, at the same time, calmly contemplates the life of Rouen, silently answers tourists' questions and once again repeats to the whole world: honor and valor have no statute of limitations ...

The French capital has several monuments to the legendary Jeanne d "Arc, a national heroine, canonized by the church. The most famous of them is located in the very center of the small rectangular Piazza Pyramids, east of Rue de Rivoli. On a clear day. the gilded statue of a brave girl sitting on a horse literally dazzles with sun glare.

A peasant girl saves France

First, a few words about the character of the monument. Zhanna D'Arc as a legendary historical figure is widely known all over the world, including here in Russia. In Soviet times, she was even compared to the fearless Komsomol members of the Young Guard. And it is no coincidence: the same unshakable aspiration, the same fanaticism (in the best sense of these words) is read in the gaze of the French “Komsomol member” of the 15th century. A simple country girl by birth, she was one of the commanders of the French troops during the Hundred Years War of 1337-1453. The British wanted to completely subjugate France, but the point of obstacle was the city of Orleans, the assault on which began in 1428.

A small detachment led by Jeanne penetrates the city, and on May 4 her soldiers won their first victory. This was followed by more victories, and on the night of May 7-8, the British were forced to lift the siege. After that, she received the nickname "The Virgin of Orleans", and 8 May is now celebrated annually in France as Jeanne D'Arc Day. Subsequently, the heroine was captured by the Burgundians. They, in turn, handed it over to the British. Subsequently, she was condemned by the church as a "heretic, apostate, idolater" and sentenced to death by the tribunal. On May 30, 1431, at the age of 19, she was burned alive at the stake. Her ashes were scattered over the Seine. However, the British were never able to recover from the defeat inflicted on them by Jeanne. So a simple peasant girl saved her homeland from occupation.

Fanatical purposefulness in appearance

Jeanne D'Arc believed in her high destiny, so the sculptor Emmanuel Fremier, who was commissioned by the French republican government to have an equestrian statue of the heroine, decided to convey this moment in her appearance as much as possible. As a result, the face of the Virgin of Orleans seems somewhat unusual, there is no calmness and pacification in features and facial expressions. Jeanne's gaze is fanatically directed forward, and this is also not surprising, given her obsession with her idea. D'Ark is wearing armor, sharp-toed shoes on his feet, but not even a helmet on his head. But the horse's head is protected, at least its muzzle. A banner flutters in the fearless girl's right hand - it seems that even the wind emphasizes her determination.

The master also approached the design of the horse in a non-standard way. Muscles are emphasized on it, which emphasizes the strength and power of the animal, and at the same time echoes the strength and power of the faith of Jeanne herself. Work on the sculptural composition began on the eve of the Franco-Prussian War of 1871 and was completed by 1874. However, Fremier did not take into account one detail - the laws of optics, and it turned out that visually, when viewed from below, the figure of the rider is perceived less than it actually is. To eliminate this incident, Zhanna D'Ark had to be “enlarged” so that she would look symmetrical against the background of the horse. The site of the monument, although it is not entirely convenient due to the busy traffic, remains unchanged. After all, it was here that she was wounded in 1429, leading the siege of Paris. Nowadays, the monument to the legendary warrior has become a center of attraction for various patriotic forces, which regularly hold political actions here.

Address: Place des Pyramides, 1st arrondissement of Paris.

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More than 600 years ago, on January 6, the national heroine of France, the famous warrior and savior of the country, Jeanne d'Arc, was born.
Several monuments to the legendary Jeanne d'Arc are located in the village of Domremi, where she was born. Here, young Jeanette, as she was then called, first heard the voices of the Archangel Michael, as well as Saints Catherine of Alexandria and Margaret of Antioch, surrounded by whom she is often depicted in paintings or in statues. According to legend, the saints announced to Jeannette that it was she who was destined to become the savior of France in the Hundred Years War: to lift the siege from Orleans, to elevate the Dauphin Charles VII (heir to Charles VI) to the throne and to expel the English invaders from the kingdom.

At the age of 16, Jeanne went to the captain of the city of Vaucouleurs Robert de Baudricourt and announced to him her saving "mission". But the first attempt was unsuccessful, and the ridiculed Virgo returned back to Domremi. However, for the second time, Jeanne's perseverance was appreciated: the captain gave her men and men's clothing and sent her to Charles VII.
In the town of Vaucouleurs, there is also a monument to Jeanne, riding a horse and raising a sword over her head by the blade, which makes it look like a crucifix.

Then, accompanied by the knights, Jeanne arrived at the residence of the Dauphin Charles - the Chinon castle, where he arranged a test for her. The fact is that, having never seen Prince Jeanne, in her letters to him, she claimed that she would recognize him at first sight. The Dauphin decided to deceive the Virgo by placing another person on the throne instead of himself. But Jeanne recognized the deception and pointed to the real prince.
The equestrian statue of Jeanne in Chinon by the sculptor Jules Rullot depicts her already in the heat of battle - galloping on a horse with a drawn sword.

The famous Jeanne monument is located in Orleans. The siege and liberation of this city under the leadership of Jeanne d'Arc was one of the most important events in the Hundred Years War. By the way, it was after this battle that they began to call her the Maid of Orleans.

The richest city in terms of monuments to Jeanne d'Arc is, of course, Paris. The famous equestrian monument to the Virgin is erected on the Pyramids Square. According to historical records, not far from here, Jeanne was wounded during an unsuccessful siege of the city.

The tall monument to Jeanne d'Arc near the museum named after her in Paris depicts her standing in armor with her head bowed and a sword pressed to her chest.

It is difficult to find a church or cathedral in Paris, wherever there are statues of Saint Jeanne. Of course, there is a statue of the Virgin in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris, since it was here that she was canonized.

There are many legends about the execution of Jeanne. According to the traditional version, Jeanne, being captured by the Burgundians, was burned alive at the stake. But, according to some historians, instead of her, another girl was burned at the stake, and the Virgin herself spent several years in captivity and after that she was released and even got married. According to other versions, Jeanne was beheaded altogether. But, nevertheless, a legend about the martyrdom of d'Arc at the stake in Rouen, where a monument is also erected at the place of her execution, has firmly established itself in history.

There are many reasons for such conclusions. Thus, the official date of the execution was arbitrarily set afterwards, apparently to put an end to inconvenient discrepancies. Now it is generally accepted that this happened on May 30 (or 31 - even here there are discrepancies) in 1431. However, the English annals say that the execution took place in February 1432. But with the month and the number, there is also no clarity: some call June 14 or July 6; there are other options as well.

It is also suggestive that the texts of the protocol of the Rouen process, which are in England and in France, are very different from each other, and the original of the protocol has disappeared.

It is also widely known that on the morning before her execution, Jeanne confessed to Bishop Pierre Cauchon himself, who presided over her trial, and received absolution. Consequently, she was still not recognized as a witch, all the more so she was not subjected to unction - one of the Christian sacraments, when prayers are read over a seriously ill, dying, or sentenced to death person and his body is anointed with oil.

All this can mean only one thing: they were not going to execute her.

The conditions for replacing Joan during the execution were very favorable. The area around the future bonfire was cordoned off by about 800 English soldiers, who drove the people away from the "stage". Another 120 soldiers took the condemned woman to the place of execution. They tightly surrounded the woman's head and her face was covered with a hood, so that it was completely impossible to see her appearance. The execution took place, but even at that time few believed that it was Joan of Arc who was burned.

The archives of the Rouen Archdiocese contain protocols of executions and reports on the costs associated with them - up to invoices for the supply of firewood for the fire and statements of payment for the services of the executioner and his assistant. However, in the documents for 1430-1432 there is no mention of the execution of Jeanne, although there is information about the burning of five witches. Therefore, it is likely that it was not Jeanne who was executed then.

What then became of the real Jeanne d'Arc, and who was she really?

There are good reasons to believe that the Virgin of Orleans Jeanne is the daughter of Louis, Duke of Orleans, governor and cousin of King Charles VI of France, and Isabella of Bavaria, wife of Charles VI and “concurrently” mistress of this Louis.

The fact is that Charles VI (nicknamed the Mad), who ascended the throne as a twelve-year-old boy, ruled for only four years - from 1388 to 1392, when the young king was struck by the first attack of madness. Soon, due to a progressive mental illness, he lost his sense of reality and became a puppet in the hands of his entourage - his wife, Isabella of Bavaria, and his cousin, Louis Orleans. If the above assumptions about the origin of the Virgin of Orleans are correct, then it turns out that Jeanne was the half-sister of Catherine de Valois, Queen of England, as well as Charles VII, King of France, whose coronation in Rheims in 1429, as you know, Jeanne d "Arc energetically contributed Then it becomes clear why her execution was only staged.

Well, if Zhanna survived, then there must be traces of her later life. And they show up. For example, in the account book of the city of Orleans for 1436, where the expenses of the city authorities were recorded, there is an entry about the payment for the delivery of letters from the Virgin Jeanne from the city of Arlon in Luxembourg. There are other similar records where a seemingly executed Virgo is mentioned.

However, the culmination of this story can be considered the appearance of Jeanne d'Arc herself in the city of Orleans on July 28, 1439, that is, eight years after her official death. True, now she bore the name of Jeanne d'Armoise. It is documented that it was she, the Virgin of Orleans, since many people lived in the city who knew Joan well from the time of the war and the siege of Orleans and even took part in the coronation of Charles VII.

Records in the documents also show that on the same days, Jeanne's mother, Isabella of Bavaria, was also in the city. They also talk about a pension established by the city authorities for Isabella. One of the researchers believes that King Charles himself then arrived in Orleans to greet the Virgin.

There is also other evidence of the "resurrected" Jeanne. In the chronicles and records of various contemporaries, several more cases of her appearance “in public” are mentioned. Moreover, she never hid her name, although she avoided explaining where she spent previous years.

Perhaps her salvation is associated with the liberation of Paris from the British in April 1436, when peace negotiations were already underway. It could be a mutual agreement, according to which the English garrison left Paris without hindrance, and in exchange the British freed Jeanne from prison.

The epic of the Virgin of Orleans ended with the fact that she married a certain Robert d "Armoise, Senor de Timmont, and lived with him until her death in 1449. In the collection“ Documents on the Church and civil history Lorraine ”contains the chronicle of the monastery of Saint-Thibault. There are pages telling about the "resurrected" Jeanne. The manuscript of the chronicle is considered authentic, and the fact that Jeanne d "Armoise lived near the monastery confirms the reliability of the description. The author of the chronicle (and this was the dean - the senior priest of the monastery) himself sincerely believed that she was the real Jeanne d" Arc.

The genealogy of the family d "Armoise, compiled in 1770 by Bernard Cherein, master of herald of King Louis XV, says:" Robert d "Armoise, who died without offspring. His wife is Jeanne, the Virgin of France. "

Of course, self-styled Virgins repeatedly appeared in France at that time, so not all evidence can be considered evidence that Jeanne escaped death at the stake.

Simultaneously with the chronicle of the Monastery of Saint-Thibault, a copy was published marriage contract Jeanne d "Armoise (the original has not been found so far). It is believed that this publication may be a fake, but how to interpret the fact of the discovery in 1968 of a tombstone with the coat of arms of the Virgin?

The number of questions is growing, but there is still no final answer.

However, whatever this answer turned out to be, now we can state the following: Jeanne d'Arc was a man of great natural intelligence, talent and great courage. She managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible - to rally the French in the fight against the English invaders.

And she fulfilled her mission (1; 11, pp. 72–76; 12, pp. 581–583; 43, pp. 195–196; 44, pp. 160–161).

Among the many architectural and historical monuments of Paris, the Pyramids Square is mentioned in passing, and in tourist routes it is rarely mentioned. 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. Rue de Rivoli, the Tuileries garden and the eponymous street of the Pyramids overlook it.
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 moment the city was founded 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. Pyramids Square was created in 1802 and got its name in honor of Napoleon's victorious campaign 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, on 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 of 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 taken 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 held 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 artistic value sculptures are minimal, but they are treated with care and 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: more than a hundred years later, the 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 largest number controversy was caused by the idea of ​​creating a high-tech glass pyramid structure on the square. But this project nevertheless won, since 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 the territory 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.

Various unique technologies were used in the construction of the pyramids, including:

Glass that will not turn yellow and 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».

Memo to the tourist: 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 by the same buildings on several sides. They are characterized by European architecture with narrow windows, multi-level mansards, traditional blinds. The buildings on the square and rue de Rivoli are characterized by 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 Exhibition 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 “ A beautiful era". To admire the hotel, you do not have to stay in it, you can simply enter the lobby.

Hotel Regina Paris

After walking around the city, you can relax here, stepping right 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 memorable places and historical events are associated with it.