She Was A Sword-Wielding Opera Singer Who Burned A Convent Down And Managed To Get Pardoned Twice By The King
There aren’t many women like Julie d’Aubigny in history. She was a sword fighter who won several duels, an opera singer, and had multiple affairs with both men and women throughout her life.
She even burned down a convent and managed to get pardoned twice for her crimes. It’s safe to say that Julie definitely defied social norms and lived life on her own terms.
Julie d’Aubigny was born around 1673 into a wealthy family. She was the child of Gaston d’Aubigny, secretary of Louis de Lorraine-Guise, who worked directly under the king of France, Louis XIV.
So, Julie grew up among royalty and was able to receive a well-rounded education. She learned to read, write, draw, sing, and dance. She was even trained in fencing and became good enough to compete against men.
When she was just 14-years-old, Julie ran away with her lover, Sérannes, one of the most prominent swordsmen at the royal court.
He was on the run after killing someone in an illegal duel. The pair fled to the south of France to escape the police. They traveled from town to town and gave fencing demonstrations to earn money.
Julie dressed in men’s clothing during her performances, which wasn’t really seen as a big deal since the king’s brother was a known cross-dresser. After a few months, the romance ended, and Julie and Sérannes parted ways.
She decided to join the Marseille Opera Company to kick-start a career in opera. Her singing attracted decent-sized audiences.
Among the crowd was a girl from a local merchant family, who caught Julie’s eye. They were soon in a relationship, but when the girl’s parents found out, they sent their daughter off to a convent in Avignon, hoping to save her soul.
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In response, Julie joined the convent herself. Once she was in, she took the body of a recently deceased nun, placed it in her lover’s room, and set the entire convent on fire.
Julie and her lover used the chaos as a cover to make their escape. For three months, the couple remained on the run. The affair ended when the girl was returned to her family.
Julie was tried for kidnapping, arson, and body snatching. She was sentenced to death by fire for her crimes, but she was not in the custody of authorities and was able to get away. She fled to Paris and ran into a man named Comte d’Albert.
He challenged her to a duel, not realizing she was a woman. She stabbed him in the shoulder and won the duel.
The next day, she checked on him while his wounds were being treated and ended up seducing him. The encounter led to them becoming lifelong friends.
Then, she found a new lover named Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard, who was also a singer. They both managed to join the Paris Opera, one of the most prestigious operas in all of France.
With her amazing singing skills and Thévenard’s help, the company agreed to hire Julie despite her criminal record. The king was also convinced to pardon Julie for her previous crimes.
Julie became one of opera’s biggest stars at just 17-years-old. She performed for audiences such as the royal court and the king himself.
Still, she couldn’t keep herself out of trouble. She got into various brawls and threatened to harm people.
Eventually, tales of her exploits reached Versailles. She was invited to attend a royal ball and arrived dressed as a man.
At the ball, she kissed a noblewoman in front of the entire court, causing three of the noblewoman’s suitors to challenge her to a three-way duel. She defeated all three and went back to the party.
Unfortunately, dueling was illegal in France at the time, so Julie had broken the law once again. With help from the king’s brother, she received a second pardon.
During her career, she fell in love with another woman named Madame la Marquise de Florensac. They lived together happily for two years until Florensac died in 1705.
Soon afterward, Julie retired from the opera. She joined a convent out of heartbreak and died in 1707 at the age of 33.
Julie now stands as an icon of self-expression.
She was unapologetic and refused to let society dictate who she loved during a time period that was much more hostile than it is today.
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