Joan of Arc, Maid of Orleans, New Orleans, Ghid vizitatori și ce de văzut în apropiere

The Joan of Arc statue on Decatur Street is a gilded bronze of the young French heroine on horseback, standing at the Place de France beside the French Market in the New Orleans French Quarter. It was given to the city by France and is one of the most photographed monuments in the Quarter, a fitting symbol for a city with deep French roots.

The story behind it

Joan of Arc was a teenage peasant girl from France who believed she had been chosen by God to help her country in its war with England. She helped lift the siege of Orléans in 1429, which earned her the name Maid of Orléans. She was later convicted of heresy and burned at the stake in 1431, aged about 19. The Church declared her a saint in 1920.

The monument is a work by the French sculptor Emmanuel Frémiet and was a gift from France to New Orleans. It spent years in different locations around the city before it was set up at the Place de France in the French Market area in 1999. Behind it, the market has been trading since 1791, and Decatur Street has long been a working waterfront where traders, sailors and newcomers from many countries crossed paths.

What to look for

• The gilded surface of the bronze, which catches the sun and makes Joan easy to spot from down the street.
• Joan sitting upright on her horse and holding her banner high, a pose that shows her as a leader rather than a victim.
• The pedestal and the small plaza around it, where French gifts and symbols link New Orleans to its past.
• The open sheds of the French Market just beside the statue, where vendors and street musicians fill the blocks.

Tips for your visit

• The statue stands outdoors in a public space, so you can see it at any time and a stop of 10 to 15 minutes is plenty.
• Morning light is good for photos, and the market area is livelier later in the day when musicians set up.
• Combine it with a walk through the French Market, and check current opening hours for the individual stalls and cafes.
• Central Grocery, known for the muffuletta sandwich, is a short walk along Decatur Street if you want a local bite.

See it on a quest

New Orleans French Quarter: The Lost Treasure is a treasure hunt theme walk through the Quarter. You reach the statue on foot as one stop of a longer route, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in New Orleans suits readers who like a darker mood on their city walk. You walk from place to place, hear about each stop as you reach it, and solve a puzzle in what is in front of you. One ticket covers the whole group.

Shadow of the Voodoo Queen: French Quarter, New Orleans explores the Quarter through its voodoo lore. The statue is one stop on the route, with the app telling you about each place and setting a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.