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Secondary sourceArtifactbegun 1211 (consecrated 1201 per record)

Reims Cathedral

begun 1211 (consecrated 1201 per record)

The Gothic cathedral where Charles VII was crowned king in 1429 with Joan of Arc and her banner beside him.

Joan of Arc stood with her banner beside Charles VII as he was crowned king here in 1429, fulfilling her mission.

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Front facade of Reims Cathedral in France, with two tall Gothic towers, a large central rose window, and three pointed portals. People walk across a cobbled square in front of it under a clear blue sky.
Reims Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Reims), France.

About this source

What it is

Reims Cathedral, also called Notre-Dame de Reims, is a Gothic Catholic cathedral in Reims, France, begun in the 13th century. It was the traditional site of French royal coronations for centuries.

Why it matters

On 17 July 1429, Charles VII was crowned king here, with Joan of Arc standing beside him holding her banner. This coronation was the fulfillment of the mission Joan said she had been sent to accomplish, and it gave Charles the legitimacy he needed as king. The cathedral itself, with its long history of royal coronations stretching back to Clovis, shows why this ceremony mattered so much politically and symbolically.

Look closer

  • Why would crowning the king in this particular cathedral matter so much, beyond just a religious ceremony?
  • What role did Joan play at the coronation, and how does the building's history of royal ritual make that role significant?
  • What has changed about this cathedral since 1429, and what hasn't?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Joan of Arc on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Letter

Primary source

Letter to the English

Joan of Arc · 22 March 1429

Engraved plate titled Vol II Pl XXXVIII showing an elevation of a tall, ornate Gothic-style fountain with classical columns, statues, and a sculpted figure, above a plan diagram of its circular and triangular base. Caption below names Rouen and the Maid of Orleans, burnt 1430.Artifact

Secondary source

Fountain on the Site of Joan of Arc's Execution

James Basire · 21 April 1786

Brown ink sketch in a manuscript margin of a long-haired figure in profile facing left, holding a pole with a banner and a sword pointing right. Beside it is handwritten Latin text and a word 'Mercredi' at the bottom.Painting

Primary source

Marginal Drawing of Joan of Arc

Clément de Fauquembergue · May 1429

Black ink handwritten signature reading "Jeanne" on white background, with a tall stroke rising from the lower left, a looping J-like initial, and a cursive "anne" with a descending tail.Document

Primary source

Signature of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc · 16 March 1430

Photograph of a medieval handwritten letter on aged, yellowed parchment or paper with a torn right edge. Dense brown-ink cursive script runs in lines across the page, with a signature in the lower right reading 'Jehan' with a long flourish. Faint stains and creases are visible.Letter

Primary source

Letter to the People of Riom

Joan of Arc · 9 November 1429

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