What if a sword of Joan of Arc was walled up in a church in Pas-de-Calais? Between legend and history, a look back at a mystery that makes the walls vibrate… and the imagination!
In Audincthun, near Aire-sur-la-Lys, it is said that a certain Joan of Arc spent a night and that her sword was walled up in the church… So, myth or reality?
Joan of Arc would have spent the night near Aire-sur-la-Lys
The story begins with the arrest of Joan of Arc on May 23, 1430, in Compiègne, on her way to Rouen. Having fallen from her horse, Jeanne is captured by an archer who sells his catch to the English for 300 pounds. The weapon that she wielded that day would have been seized by this knight as a trophy, and would have been walled up in his church which was being rebuilt.
Joan's sword, a mystery between faith and history
Still according to legend, Jeanne stopped a year later, on her way to Rouen, to retrieve her sword. However, the mystery remains. Several other swords, exhibited at the Dijon museum and at the Army Museum in Paris, also claim their link with the famous Maid. So, is the sword really there or is it a story embellished by time?
When legend exceeds reality
Stories are sometimes like prayers: imbued with mystery and imagination. Despite the lack of tangible evidence, this story gives the place a unique charm. If Joan heard the voices of God, it remains difficult today to hear the truth about this sword. One thing is certain, legend or not, the village and its church are still as intriguing as ever…
200 reasons to love Nord-Pas-de-Calais
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