The woman who became known as Joan of Arc was born into a French peasant family around 1412. When she was thirteen years old, she heard voices that she claimed were sent from God that said she should help to drive out France's enemies and establish the crown prince Charles as king of France. After taking a vow of chastity, she went to Charles and requested an army to lead to the town of Orleans, which the English were besieging. She won a supposedly miraculous victory there and followed this with other military victories. Eventually, she was captured by the English, imprisoned, interrogated, and condemned to death. On May 30, 1431, when she was only nineteen, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.

Immediately after Joan's death, the English raked the coals away so that observers could see her dead body. This would prevent anyone from claiming that she had somehow escaped. They burned her body again until it was nothing but ashes, and then they threw the ashes into the River Seine. This was to prevent anyone from collecting any of her remains to use as sacred relics.

About 20 years after Joan's death, a retrial authorized by Pope Callixtus III was conducted, and on July 7, 1456, Joan of Arc was declared to be innocent. Bishop Cauchon, who oversaw Joan's trial, was posthumously excommunicated by Callixtus III for condemning Joan.

The city of Orleans has commemorated Joan's death every year since 1432. During the French Revolution, this was condemned, and a statue of her was destroyed. However, Napoleon allowed the people of Orleans to resume their commemoration and construct a new statue. Joan was beatified by the church in 1909. On May 16, 1920, Pope Benedict XV canonized her as a saint. She is now considered by Catholics to be the patron saint of France.