Orléans, perhaps less famous now than its descendant New Orleans, is notable for its association with Joan Of Arc - the Maid Of Orléans - who led Charles VII to coronation at Reims, before her trial in Rouen.

Much of the extant fabric of the cathedral dates from the 1600s, after heavy damage during the wars of religion. The influence of the renaissance is evident, and the southern rose window includes the emblem of the sun king, Louis XIV.