Orange is the New Orleans

On May 23, 1430, one of the most fateful moments in the young girl’s life, Joan was captured by the Burgundians while attempting to defend Compiegne from an Anglo-Burgundian siege. Following her capture, Joan went on to endure imprisonment in numerous castles until she was finally sold to the King of England and housed in the castle of Bouvreuil to await her trial in Rouen. There is much modern speculation about Joan’s experiences while imprisoned, even the theory of a suspected rape. While Joan does not specifically discuss her time spent imprisoned during her trial, several witnesses were able to visit the Maid in her cell, and described the conditions in which she was held. 

Some of the most telling evidence of Joan's imprisonment comes from the Retrial records where witnesses from the Rouen trial re-testified about the conditions of the prison as well as Joan's hardships. Pierre Daron, Lieutenant to the bailiff of Rouen, testified: "We found her in a tower of the castle, with fetters on her legs, which were attached to a great wooden block," (Pernoud 209). As to how Joan was guarded, Jean Massieu testified: "Joan was kept a prisoner and remained in that place under the guard of five Englishmen, of whom three stayed in her room at night and two remained outside the door," (Pernoud 210). This constant guarding by Englishmen allowed for the rumors of a suspected rape upon the Maid. Guillaume Manchon testified: "Once or twice [Joan] complained… Master Nicolas Loiseleur that one of her guards had tried to rape her," (Pernoud 211). Whether this attempted rape was successful is much debated among historians today. Perhaps one of the most interesting theories of Joan's imprisonment is the testimony given by several men that claimed an iron cage was made for Joan, in which she would have been forced to stand in her cell, chained. Jean Massieu described having heard from a local blacksmith who crafted the cage, and Pierre Cusquel corroborated the creation of a cage for Joan, although neither man admits to having seen Joan actually enchained.

Perhaps one of the most essential question for understanding Joan's imprisonment is: how did Joan's experience differ from that of an average medieval prisoner? Prisoners in the Middle Ages were rarely afforded certain privileges modern inmates are allowed, including meals, medical aid, and frequent visitors. Medieval prisoners were less guarded or supervised which left them more free but also more susceptible. Joan, however, was under nearly constant supervision by the recorded five Englishmen.  The lack of hygiene and small quarters or cells prisoners inhabited during the Middle Ages created an unhealthy environment, as inmates often died of disease. Several Rehabilitation records reflect that Joan fell ill while in prison, and had to be bled. This would seem a fairly typical occurrence in a medieval prison. Although more care was surely administered to Joan, who was essential to the English to remain alive until sentenced. Lastly, the circumstances of Joan being imprisoned with male guards was wholly inconsistent with the custom of the Middle Ages. According to medieval custom, women inmates were held in ecclesiastical prison, guarded solely by women. This, however, was not a liberty Joan was afforded, and created a source of anger that Joan exhibited during her trial.

While historians know much about typical medieval prisons, Joan’s experience while imprisoned was wholly unique considering the war and double monarchy of the day. Furthermore, Joan was not a typical prisoner. The rumors of Joan combined with the English dedication to prove her a heretic proves her time spent in prison was unlike that of a common criminal. However, the extraordinary circumstances surrounding her imprisonment align with the extraordinary life she lived before her capture.

Below are several images of the castle of Bouvreuil, where Joan was imprisoned while awaiting her trial in Rouen. She was held specifically in the tower below. 

Works Cited:

Geltner, Guy. "Medieval Prisons: Between Myth and Reality, Hell and Purgatory." History Compass 4 (2006). Web. 22 Oct. 2014.
Pernoud, Regine. The Retrial of Joan of Arc: The Evidence for Her Vindication. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2007. Print.