Julie d’Aubigny was a bisexual sword-welding noblewoman who shook Paris, France, in the 17th century. She was daring and badass and had a fascinatingly chaotic life that shaped French history.

Julie d’Aubigny, or Mademoiselle Maupin, was born in 1673 to her father, who trained court pages. He educated d’Aubigny in subjects taught to boys and trained her in fencing. By 12, she was a fencing master. 

At only 14, she became Louis de Lorraine’s “mistress”, before Count d’Armagnac arranged for her to marry Sieur de Maupin in 1687. In the same year, she ran away with a person called Séranne, who killed a man in an illegal duel. They fled to the countryside and made a living by doing fencing demonstrations and singing at local taverns.

 

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Julie dressed like a man in public but never attempted to identify as one. She joined an opera company, where she sang under her maiden name. At this time, she had her first lesbian relationship with a woman, who was later sent by her parents to a convent. Julie chased this girl to the convent, where she pretended to be studying. 

To get her lover out, she used a dead nun’s body to replace her partner in the room and then burned the room down. They escaped together, but the girl went back to her parents after a few months. D’Aubigny was charged as a male with kidnapping, body snatching, arson and failing to appear before the tribunal. She was sentenced to death by fire, but because she wasn’t in custody, she was able to flee.

Julie applied and was accepted to the Paris Opera after being trained by her singing teacher, Maréchel. She first played Pallas Athena and performed regularly from 1690 to 1694, first as a soprano and then as a contralto. 

During this time, she got into a lot of trouble. She went to court for attacking her landlord, threatened to shoot the Dutchess of Luxemburg, threatened to kill herself once, stabbed herself with a real knife during a performance, and embarrassed Countess Marino while working for her as a maid by secretly dressing the Countess with radishes in her hair. 

At a court ball, d’Aubigny dressed in men’s clothing and kissed a woman. On this same night, Julie had upset three noblemen she had a duel with, winning against all of them. She also beat up Louis Gaulard Dumesny after he insulted other women at the Opera. 

D’Aubigny continued to wear men’s clothing unapologetically in public, dating both men and women. She had met the love of her life, Madame le Marquise de Florence, who she is said to have had “dwelt in such affection they believed to be perfect.” After retiring from being an opera singer, Julie took refuge in a convent where she was believed to have died in 1707 at 33 years old. 

If she had lived longer, there’s no doubt that she would have continued her shame-free life. Julie d’Aubigny was a trailblazer and a rule-breaker. She created history by just being unapologetically herself and creating stepping stones for other women to be themselves and go against social norms.