The town of Beauvais, Oise, is not a major tourist destination despite it having an airport of its own. Most of the visitors will head straight to Paris, but stay here for a bit and you may discover a fascinating episode in post-medieval French history.
The story goes back to 1472, when Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, laid siege on Beauvais. The town repelled the relentless attack thanks to a brave, hatchet-wielding young named Jeanne Laisné (or Fourquet according to some sources), better known as Jeanne Hachette, or “Joan Hatchet.”
Though now a legend larger than life, Jeanne was most definitely a real figure about 18 years old at the time of the siege. The popular narrative claims that she fought an enemy with an axe, took down the Burgundian flag, and reignited the morale of the town’s defenders. She led the battle to victory, becoming a heroine in French history, albeit an obscure one.
In 1851, Beauvais commemorated the legend with a life-size statue of Jeanne wielding her trusty hatchet in the town square, created by Parisian sculptor Vital Gabriel Dubray.
