Saint-Catherine-de-Fierbois

Limited formal archaeological investigation has been conducted at Saint-Catherine-de-Fierbois, as the site's significance lies primarily in its documented historical role rather than prehistoric or ancient origins. The current structure represents various periods of renovation and reconstruction, making it difficult to determine the exact configuration of the 15th-century chapel that Joan of Arc would have known. Historical records and architectural analysis suggest the original chapel was a relatively simple stone structure typical of regional pilgrimage sites of the period.

The most significant archaeological challenge involves the famous sword itself, which has never been recovered or definitively identified among surviving medieval weapons. Contemporary accounts describe it as bearing five crosses and being found in a remarkable state of preservation despite being hidden behind the altar. However, no physical evidence of the weapon exists today, leaving historians to rely entirely on 15th-century testimonies and chronicles for details about its appearance and discovery.

Scholars generally agree that the chapel served as an established pilgrimage destination before Joan's arrival, with Saint Catherine of Alexandria being a popular saint among medieval knights and warriors. The tradition of weapons being left at religious sites as votive offerings was common during this period, lending credibility to the possibility that swords and other military equipment could have been stored or hidden at the chapel. What remains genuinely mysterious is how Joan, reportedly having never visited the site before, knew of the sword's specific location and was able to direct others to find it exactly where she indicated.