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Primary sourceArtifactc. 1204

Tour Jeanne d'Arc

c. 1204

The surviving keep of Rouen Castle where Joan of Arc was imprisoned and threatened with torture before her trial.

Joan of Arc was imprisoned and threatened with torture in this tower in May 1431, before her trial.

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A tall cylindrical stone tower with pale, weathered masonry and a dark wooden overhanging gallery with a conical slate roof and chimney at top. A modern building stands at the right under a cloudy sky.
Tour Jeanne d'Arc, keep of Rouen Castle, Rouen, France.

About this source

What it is

The Tour Jeanne d'Arc is the keep of Rouen Castle, a stone tower built around the early 13th century. It is the only part of the castle still standing today, located in Rouen, France.

Why it matters

This tower is directly connected to Joan of Arc's imprisonment: in May 1431 she was held here and threatened with torture as part of the process that led to her trial and execution by English-controlled authorities. As the last standing structure linked to her captivity, it is one of the few physical places that can still be connected to the final months of her life.

Look closer

  • What does it mean that only this one tower survives from the castle where Joan was held?
  • Why might this building have been given her name, long after the events it witnessed?
  • What questions can a surviving building like this answer, and what can it never tell us?

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 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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