IWALKED NEW YORK CITY&rsquo;S JOAN OF ARC MONUMENT
As you sneak into the traffic island park at the intersection of Riverside Drive and West 93rd&nbsp;Street you can begin to get your first glimpses at Anna Vaughn Hyatts&rsquo; tributary equestrian statue to Joan of Arc. The statue features Joan in full armor while astride her horse. In one hand she clutches the reins of her horse while in the other she holds a sword up high into the air, preparing to enter her first battle. The sculpture faces to the west and sits atop a large gothic granite pedestal which was designed by architect john Van Pelt. Unfortunately the monument is located within a small clearing in the park with a lot of overhanging trees and if you&rsquo;re trying to capture a photo of the sculpture it is sometimes a bit difficult.
Joan was born in France in 1412. Beginning around the age of 13 she claimed to have dreams or visions of Christian martyrs. The dreams reportedly continued to get stronger and more frequent and by the age of 16 she was convinced these dreams were a divine intervention. This message reportedly was that she should participate and lead an army for the French forces in their Hundred Years&rsquo; War versus England. Joan claims that at one point her dreams turned to reality when after an especially graphic dream she found a sword lying next to her&mdash;the same sacred sword she is shown holding here in Ms. Hyatt&rsquo;s statue.
Amazingly through her persistence, Joan was able to capture an audience with the future king of France, Charles VII, whom she convinced to provide her with an army of her own. Joan then went on to actually lead her army to a number of victories however, as peace time began to settle in Joan continued on her own personal crusade. Whilst on a failed attack of British forces in Paris Joan was captured and charged with wearing a man&rsquo;s armor and for witchcraft due to her continued insistence on being a spiritual quest.
She was held within the Tower of Rouen in Normandy, France while she awaited her trial before an ecclesiastical court. Ecclesiastical courts in ancient times specialized in cases involving religious charges. It was said that these courts held more sway than any other at the time. During her trial, Joan was found unanimously guilty on all accounts and sentenced to death. On May 30, 1431, at the tender young age of 19, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Because she had become a martyr in her own time Joan&rsquo;s case was revisited in 1456 and Pope Callixtus III actually exonerated her on all charges. Almost 500 years later she was made a saint by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.
Now that you have a more comprehensive backg