March 8, Joan of Arc, peace

It was a spring day, March 22, 1429, when 17-year-old Joan of Arc sent her famous letter to the English besieging Orleans to propose a true peace between England and France. Thus began the epic of the maiden, who two years later, at just 19 years old, again a spring day, March 24, she was sentenced to be burned at the stake at the end of a trial for heresy. On May 30, 1431, two months after her sentencing, she was burned alive. Six centuries later the Church made her a saint, and today Joan is an inspiration this March 8, 2025, Women’s Day. In the name of peace and against gender-based violence, we will celebrate this special day with a lump in our throat.

That 19-year-old girl, with her indomitable faith and feminine determination, is a powerful and timeless symbol. In a world dominated by men, two theatrical productions about her have enjoyed great success on stages in Italy and France. Both, despite the diversity of theatrical languages, highlight why Joan continues to speak to contemporary audiences. Her figure represents resistance against all forms of oppression, whether political or religious. For women, in particular, she embodies the courage to assert her identity in a system that attempts to silence women’s voices.

In Italy, Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Joan of Arc is masterfully revived under the visionary direction of Emma Dante. In the staging by the Sicilian director, known for her innovative approach, Joan is not only the warrior saint, but becomes a symbol of all women who rebel against social and religious constraints, and assert their voice in a world dominated by men. The use of strong symbols and evocative images accentuate the contrast between Joan’s pure faith and the hypocrisy of -both political and religious power- The chorus, a fundamental element of Verdi’s opera, becomes a representation of the collective that first exalts and then abandons the heroine, in a sadly topical mechanism.

In France, Le procès de Jeanne, directed by Yves Beaunesne and starring the talented Judith Chemla, offers a more intimate reinterpretation of the trial of the Maid of Orleans. Chemla portrays the vulnerable yet indomitable French national heroine who faces her accusers with disarming simplicity. Director, Beaunesne, constructs a dramaturgy that explores the conflict between ecclesiastical power and authentic spirituality, and between dogma and experienced faith. The essential scenographic elements create an almost timeless space, which suggests that Joan’s “trial” continues over the centuries, whenever a woman must defend her beliefs against prejudice and authority.