Orléans an Amazing Gem of France
January 9, 2022When we first moved to France, we remained in the city of Orléans for 3 months before finding our own place in Évreux. The culture and history of this amazing city is quite impressive.
Orléans is located about 74 miles southwest of Paris. It is located on the river loire right in the heart of the Loire Valley and is classified a Word Heritage Site.
Now why would a city be considered a World Heritage Site? Well let me tell you! Maybe you’ve heard of a certain someone named Joan of Arc? It was here that the siege of Orléans took place from 12 October 1428 - 8 May 1429 during the Hundred Years’ War where Joan of Arc made her mark. Orléans was known for its strategic placement along the river that served as a major trading port. The English king, Henry V wanted to conquer France, but needed to take Orléans for a victory. It was said the English were winning in their efforts for the first six months of the siege, but it only took Joan of Arc nine days to shut it down. In order to boost morale among the people during the siege, Joan would tour the streets giving people food and payments to the garrison. She even sent messengers to the English representatives asking them to vacate Orléans. Of course the English laughed at her. Joan fought bravely for days to the point of being injured. Her injuries were so severe, the English morale went up as the French morale became depleted. However, Joan would not accept defeat and returned inspiring the French soldiers to persevere for which the English were overrun. Of course this is just a short snapshot of the occurrence. Trust me, there is so much more to the story.
Orléans has considered Joan of Arc the “Maid of Orléans” and has continued to pay homage to Joan every first week of May since 1432. The Johannic Holidays boast a feast and festival to pay respect to their Lady. You can visit the House of Joan of Arc. Unfortunately, the house as it stands today is an approximate reconstitution due to the original house being bombed in 1940 during the Battle of France.
Orléans is also the home to one of Europe’s oldest universities created in 1306 by Pope Clement the V. In addition, you can visit the Basilique Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d’Orléans (Roman Catholic Church) where the Bishop of Orléans is seated. It is also the cathedral Joan of Arc frequently visited in her communes with her higher power. The Church has not escaped the tale of Joan of Arc as the stained glass windows depict the story of Joan’s contributions to the living of the siege of Orléans.
When we stayed in Orléans, we were just outside of the city center. We would often take walks into the downtown area to simply admire the architecture of the buildings. The city center always has some sort of activity happening around the statue of Joan situated right in the middle of the center square. This may not be the most well known city in France, but it surely is one of its greatest gems.
