Fêtes Johanniques de Reims

Alias the fête de jeanne d'arc alias the Joan of Arc festival.  Every year, during the first weekend of June, the town of Reims celebrates the coronation of Charles VII that took place in 1429.  I'm sure most of you know her story, so all I'll add is that she was born in the Lorraine region in France (to our east) in 1412.  Her death in 1431 is part of Verzenay's dark history as the bishop who judged her was probably born in Verzenay.  His family was the lords of Verzenay and owned a château in the same street where this house is situated, not far from where we live.  (where the château was situated I cannot say, as most of the village was destroyed during WWI and I'm learning Verzenay's history on an ongoing basis, but this house is situated in the same street)

The fête takes place during the whole weekend and most of the streets in the heart of the town are closed for vehicles during this period.  On all the squares around the cathedral and the hôtel de ville and in between there are numerous demonstrations, theatre acts, spectacles and stands where artisans are selling their jewellery, old clothes, shoes, different types of food and snacks, pottery, linen, etc.  This year it was very very hot.  As my mom and I went to Sedan's medieval fête two weeks earlier, we only stayed for some performances before we've returned home.

The next day we went back to see the procession going to the cathedral, with 'Charles VII' and 'Jeanne d'Arc'.  Last year it was easy, as we had to walk 20 metres only from where we'd live but this year we had to drive and we left early, due to so many of the main roads being closed.