Rehabilitation trial of Joan of Arc
- When
- 1450–1456
- Where
- Rouen region; Rome/Paris; Notre-Dame de Paris; Rouen Cathedral
- Episodes
- 4
Following the French recapture of Rouen, preliminary inquiries in 1450 and 1452 examined the irregularities of Joan of Arc's 1431 conviction. Pope Callixtus III authorized a formal appeal in 1455, leading to a public trial that concluded with the annulment of her condemnation in July 1456.
Episodes
- Bouillé's Preliminary Inquiry
Charles VII ordered a limited investigation into the 1431 trial process, which was interrupted after seven witnesses were heard.
- Papal Authorization of the Appeal
Following the death of Pope Nicholas V, Callixtus III authorized the rehabilitation trial and appointed commissioners to oversee the process.
- Opening of the Retrial at Notre-Dame
The formal retrial began at Notre-Dame de Paris, where Joan's mother delivered a request for rehabilitation and 115 witnesses were questioned.
- Annulment and Public Burning
The appellate court annulled the 1431 condemnation, and the articles of the original trial were publicly burned at Rouen.
Background and detail
Political and Legal Preconditions. A full reexamination was impossible until Rouen fell to Charles VII in November 1449, as the trial documents were held by the English. The death of Archbishop Raoul Roussel in 1453 removed a significant obstacle, as he had been a fervent supporter of the English cause and a participant in the original trial.
Preliminary Inquiries of 1450 and 1452. In 1450, Charles VII ordered Guillaume Bouillé to conduct a preliminary investigation, which was abruptly halted after seven witnesses were heard. In 1452, Cardinal d'Estouteville and Inquisitor Jean Bréhal conducted a broader inquiry, interviewing approximately twenty witnesses and gathering evidence that the original judgment was arbitrary.
The Formal Appeal and Judgment. Authorized by Pope Callixtus III, the formal retrial opened at Notre-Dame de Paris in November 1455. After hearing from 115 witnesses, the appellate court annulled the 1431 proceedings. The judgment was read at Rouen Cathedral in July 1456, and the articles of the original condemnation were publicly burned.
People involved
- Jean Bréhal · Inquisitor-General who reviewed the case
- Isabelle Romée · Joan's mother and petitioner
- Pope Callixtus III · Papal authority authorizing the appeal
- Cardinal Guillaume d'Estouteville · Papal legate and investigator
Sources
- Rehabilitation trial of Joan of Arc Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-07
- Joan of Arc Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-07
- Jean Bréhal Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-16
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.