Joan of Arc, also known as the ‘Maid of Orleans,’ was just a teenager when she led the French against an English siege of Orléans in 1429. This is just one of the reasons that she has become the unofficial patron saint of New Orleans, Louisiana, and is depicted in a monument that has become an icon of the city.
A Hero of France Becomes an icon of New Orleans
Unveiled in 1972 as a gift to New Orleans from the nation of France, the Joan of Arc Monument showcases Joan of Arc in a victorious pose, carrying her custom-made banner that she would have carried when she defended France from the English during the Hundred Years War. After being captured, she would be executed in 1431.
Although it was completed a decade earlier, the golden statue of Joan of Arc resided outside the International Trade Mart from when it was installed until 1999 when the monument was moved to the Place de France in the French Market. It is one of multiple copies of an 1899 statue in Paris by Emmanuel Fremiet. In front of her are two cannons that have markers that list some major cities relevant to Joan’s life and campaigns.
Highlighting how the piece has come to define the culture of the modern city, the Joan of Arc parade takes place each year on January 6th, which is the Maid of Orléans’ birthday. Since it began in 2009, the parade has grown organically from a handful of costumed friends and family to 150 dues-paying members. Each year, a teenage Joan is picked to be the Maid of Orléans.
Serving as an attraction for visitors and a means of identity for residents, the Joan of Arc Monument highlights what it can look like for a monument to inspire and engage audiences. Doing so has defined an area of the French Quarter that would otherwise be unremarkable, helping it to become an icon connected to the culture of the city.
More than a Legacy of New Orleans
As the unofficial patron saint of New Orleans, the Joan of Arc Monument has come to represent the strength, power, and perseverance of New Orleans. This connection has made the monument an icon that audiences in the past and future can understand and interact with on multiple levels.
