Pierre d'Arc facts for kids
Pierre d'Arc (born 1408, died 1467) was a French soldier. He is known because he fought in the army with his famous younger sister, Joan of Arc.
Life of Pierre d'Arc
Pierre was the youngest son of Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée. He and his older brother, Jean, fought alongside their sister Joan. They were part of the important Siege of Orléans.
Pierre and Joan were both captured in a town called Compiègne. But Pierre was later set free. He continued to serve in the army for many years. Later, he was made a knight. He got married and had two sons and one daughter. The Duke of Orleans gave him an island called Ile-aux-Boeufs.
After Joan of Arc was executed, some young women pretended to be her. In 1434, Pierre and his brother Jean believed one of these women, Jeanne des Armoises. Her real name was Claude. For about six years, the brothers and Claude traveled to different towns. They started in Orléans. Many people who admired Joan gave them gifts. These gifts came from important people like Princess Elizabeth of Luxembourg.
But then Claude made a mistake. She met with Charles VII of France in Paris. Joan had told the king a secret that proved she was sent by God. Claude could not tell him this secret. So, she admitted she was pretending. She asked the king for his forgiveness.
We do not have many details about Pierre d'Arc's last years. We do not know exactly when or how he died. We do know he passed away in Orléans. His family line has continued through the centuries. People today can trace their family back to him.
Pierre d'Arc's Legacy
A woman named Clotilde Forgeot d'Arc says she is a direct descendant of Pierre. In 2022, she played Joan of Arc in a celebration in Orléans. This event honored Joan's role in freeing the city. However, some people question if Clotilde is truly related to Pierre.
A family historian named Michel de Sachy de Fourdrinoy wrote about this in 1973. He said that there are no longer any known descendants of Joan's brothers. Another scholar, François de Bouteiller, believed that Joan's great-great-nephew, Charles du Lys (who died in 1632), was the last male in that family line. Clotilde's great-great-grandfather, Henri Gautier, changed his children's last name to "d'Arc" in 1827. This happened after King Charles X gave him special permission.
Pierre d'Arc in Film
In 1999, Pierre d'Arc was an important character in a TV show. It was a miniseries called Joan of Arc. The actor Justin Peroff played Pierre in this show.
