In the footsteps of Joan of Arc, 2007
The 600-kilometer journey between Domrémy and Chinon traces the route taken by Joan of Arc on her way to meet the French king Charles VII in 1429. Once again, the roads of Sologne and Lorraine host countless travellers following in her footsteps.
Called by God to end the siege at Orléans and lead the Dauphin to Reims to have him cowned king, Joan of Arc has always remained one of the most important figures in the hearts of the French people.
All of these stops are now celebrated by tourists who believe that followings her journey brings the great moments of French history back to life.
On each route and village between Domremy and Chinon, through Vaucouleurs, Auxerre, and Gien, one finds all types of tourists. Curious passerbys and even amateur historians come to follow in the footsteps of the “shepherd” of Domremy. People come as far as Canada, according to the owner of the Hotel de Vaucouleurs.
At the Abbey of Clairvaux, Joan had to spend the night praying in an attached chapel due to the strict vows of austerity the Cistercian monks had made. At Mézilles she was attacked by robbers, and at Tannerre-in-Puisaye she ate boiled chestnuts from a wooden bowl.
Perhaps it is the extraordinary nature of this trip (travel 600 kilometers in eleven days while avoiding thieves and flooded rivers) that prompted Serge Picard to investigate a story that always seems more mythical today.
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Hôtel Paul Delaroche
58 rue Saint Lazare, 75009 Paris
+33 1 53 01 85 85
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