Country of Longuyon - Jeanne de Remencourt

The region of Lorraine has its heroine in the person of Jeanne d’Arc, from Domrémy. But Longuyon has its own heroine, the memory of which became blurred for a long time. The local legend preserves the story of our heroine.

In the middle XVIIth century, Jeanne de Remencourt was the daughter of the governor of the castle of Mussy. It is during the siege of the castle, by the governor of Thionville, Mister de Marolles, that the first exploit of Jeanne reveals her courage. Indeed, the garrison of the castle not being numerous, the aggressors got ready to surround the place, when a cannonball came to cut down Mister de Marolles, who died. Now, it is Jeanne herself who had sensibly pointed the cannon at the governor of Thionville. On this fact, the siege was raised and the place was protected.

But it is on the second exploit of Jeanne de Remencourt that the legend especially built up itself.

This year, Jeanne, who was astride such a rider, was saved from a violent fall by a young officer, named Waltrin, who evolved under the banner of the father of Jeanne. The gratitude was quickly transformed into love for young lovers. They soon got ready to celebrate their engagement, which, regrettably was to spoil by the arrival of the troops of Mister de Créquy, who wanted to surround the castle of Mussy. By jealousy to Jeanne and Waltrin, the secretary of Mister de Remencourt sold traiteusement the access of the castle to the besiegers, by a secret underground passage. The battle was terrible in the yard of the castle. Mister de Remencourt and Waltrin died. But the conquerors cried out a little prematurely their victory when, in the top of the tower which contained all the gunpowder of the castle, seemed sudden Jeanne, upholder of a hand the banner of the Lorraine and the other one an ardent torch. The soldiers of Mister de Créquy trembled with fear, because they had fast understood the continuation of the events. They tried to save themselves, but the fuse was already fired and the quite whole ground opened under their feet, in a fantastic explosion which gobbles up all the belligerent parties. Of the castle of Mussy, there were not more than smoking ruins, and the bloody rests of the aggressors and of besieged annihilated.

Of Jeanne de Remencourt, nothing, ever, was found.

The local legend tells that, at certain nights of the year, Jeanne, taken on an aura, walks on the ruins of Mussy, dressed in her fiancée's dress.