Pierre d'Arc (1408–1467) was a French soldier whose place in history is due to his service in the army made famous by his younger sister
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
.
Life
The youngest son of Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée, Pierre and his older brother Jéan fought under their sister's banner at the
Siege of Orléans
The siege of Orléans (12 October 1428 – 8 May 1429) marked a turning point of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. The siege took place at the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war, but was repulsed by F ...
. Pierre and Joan were both captured in
Compiègne
Compiègne (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department of northern France. It is located on the river Oise (river), Oise, and its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois'' ().
Administration
Compiègne is t ...
, but he was released. After serving in the army for many additional years, he was knighted and, following his marriage, became the father of two sons and a daughter. He was given an island called the Ile-aux-Boeufs by the Duke of Orleans.
Following Joan's execution, several young women came forward claiming to be her. In 1434, Pierre and Jéan temporarily accepted Jeanne des Armoises (whose real name was Claude) as the actual Joan. Over the next six years, the brothers and their supposed sister traveled from town to town, beginning at
Orléans
Orléans (,"Orleans" (US) and Elisabeth von Görlitz, widow of Prince Anton of Burgundy. Then Claude made the mistake of meeting with
Charles VII of France
Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious () or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. His reign saw the end of the Hundred Years' War and a ''de facto'' end of the English claims to ...
in Paris. Unable to tell him a secret Joan had told him - which proved to Charles that Joan had been sent by God to defeat the English - Claude confessed to the subterfuge, and begged the king's forgiveness.
There are no clear historical details regarding the final years of Pierre d'Arc, including the year and circumstances of his death. It is known that he died in
Orléans
Orléans (,"Orleans" (US) and Orléans
Orléans (,"Orleans" (US) and Alliance française
(; "French Alliance", stylised as ''af'') is an international organization that aims to promote the French language and francophone culture around the world. Created in Paris on 21 July 1883 under the name ''Alliance française pour la propa ...
'': "there is no longer any known descendants of the brothers of the Maid". Scholar François de Bouteiller determined that Joan's great-great nephew Charles du Lys (d. 1632) was the "last remaining male of the line". Clotilde's great-great-grandfather Henri Gautier renamed his children "d'Arc" after
Charles X Charles X may refer to:
* Charles X of France (1757–1836)
* Charles X Gustav (1622–1660), King of Sweden
* Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1523–1590), recognized as Charles X of France but renounced the royal title
See also
*
* King Charle ...
In 1999, Pierre, portrayed by Justin Peroff, was a prominent character in the
miniseries
In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
''
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...