Jeanne d'Arc at The Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon

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Joan of Arc, known as "The Maid of Orléans," is France's celebrated heroine who played a pivotal role in the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War. Born to Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée, a peasant family in Domrémy, north-east France, Joan claimed to have received divine guidance from Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria, urging her to aid Charles VII and liberate France from English control. King Charles VII, still uncrowned at the time, entrusted Joan with a crucial mission to relieve the siege of Orléans. Her successful intervention led to the swift lifting of the siege in just nine days, followed by several more victories that ultimately paved the way for Charles VII's coronation at Reims, a milestone that revitalized French spirits and set the stage for their ultimate triumph.