“I’ll meet you in Orléans,” she had said. I returned from Poitiers to my Paris hotel on the rue des Artes, and a day later, I took the hour-and-a-half train journey to Orléans, the town which was the scene of Joan’s first great military triumph. She is often called The Maid of Orléans because she raised the seven-month siege of the city, defeating the English for the first time in decades. The title “Maid of Orléans” wasn’t applied to her in her lifetime, though. That was added later as her legend grew.
From the station, I walked out into Place d’Arc and across to yet another statue of Joan on horseback carrying a sword. Quite different from the dynamic statue in Chinon. Here, Joan sits quietly in the saddle holding out her sword as if offering it to someone. It’s a beautiful statue with
