'Joan of Arc ring' returned to France



A MEDIEVAL ring that may once have belonged to Joan of Arc has returned to France after 600 years.

The ring was bought at auction in London for €385,000 (£297,600) by the owners of the popular history-themed amusement park Le Puy du Fou.

TimeLine Auctions said docuмents offered evidence that the ring belonged to the saint. They said she gave it to English cardinal, Henry Beaufort, shortly before she was burned at the stake. It was described in official sale docuмents as being ‘associated with Joan of Arc’.


The silver-gilt piece is said to have been a first-communion gift to Joan from her parents.

The park’s founder Philippe de Villiers told AFP he had ‘no doubt’ that the ring belonged to Joan of Arc, and that it had already been accurately dated to the 15th century.

He said that a ‘treasure’ was being ‘restored to the French people’ after it had ‘remained in England for 600 years until the auction’.

Disputing TimeLine’s version of medieval events, Le Puy du Fou said it believed that the ring had been confiscated by Bishop Pierre Cauchon during Joan’s trial for heresy. He gave the ring to Beaufort, who took it back to England as a ‘spoil of war’, the park said in a statement.

It said the ring will be unveiled at a press conference on March 20 and will be on public display in mid-April. It said that docuмents supporting the ring’s authenticity would also be produced.

But experts in France remain to be convinced. Medieval historian and Joan of Arc expert Dr Olivier Bouzy told France Info: “I remain sceptical. There is a major contradiction between the ring sold and the description of the relic by Joan of Arc herself. It describes a copper ring while the one that was sold is silver.

“She also said that this ring was in the hands of the Burgundians. There is no evidence that the Burgundians gave it to English Cardinal Henry Beaufort.

Dr Bouzy added that authentication of such objects is complicated. "It is difficult to assess on metals dating from before the 16th century."