The 17th-century sword-fighting and convent-burning scandals of Julie d’Aubigny

Julie d’Aubigny was the 17th century’s ultimate main character. She didn't just break the rules; she set the rulebook on fire—literally. This professional opera star was also a world-class duelist who spent her weekends beating men in sword fights after they dared to insult her.

Her peak messy moment involved joining a convent just to smuggle her girlfriend out. She placed a dead nun’s body in her lover’s bed as a decoy and torched the entire building to cover their escape.

Despite being sentenced to death multiple times, she was so iconic that the King of France pardoned her twice. She lived at 100mph, proving that history is often weirder than any Netflix drama.

Wait, why would the King keep pardoning a literal convent-burner?

Basically, Julie had massive clout. She was the star of the Paris Opera, and King Louis XIV was a total fanboy. When you're the Beyoncé of the 1600s, the law hits different.

Plus, there was a hilarious legal loophole. The King argued his edicts against dueling specifically forbade men from fighting. Since Julie was a woman, he claimed she hadn't technically broken that rule.

It was the ultimate 'get out of jail free' card. He valued her talent more than the convent she’d scorched, proving that being an icon is the best legal defense.

Hold on, where did she even learn to fight like a pro?

It wasn't just raw talent; she had the ultimate 'nepo baby' training. Her dad was Gaston d’Aubigny, a guy whose literal job was training the King’s pages in the art of combat and horsemanship.

Instead of teaching her to sew like a 'proper' lady, he raised her alongside the boys. She was basically a 17th-century Lara Croft, learning to parry and thrust before she ever hit the opera stage.

By her teens, she was already out-fencing grown men. She even turned it into a side hustle, traveling with a fencing master and putting on exhibition matches for cold, hard cash.

Who exactly was this fencing master she ran away with?

That was Séranne, the "bad boy" of the 1600s fencing scene. After he killed a man in an illegal duel and fled Paris, Julie—already bored with her marriage—decided to ditch her husband and join him on the run.

They became the ultimate power couple of the underground fighting circuit, traveling France to host "fencing exhibitions" for clout and cash.

When spectators accused Julie of being a man because she was "too good," she’d famously flash the crowd to prove her gender. It was the ultimate 17th-century mic drop.

So how does a fugitive on the run land a professional opera gig?

Julie didn’t just hide; she auditioned. While dodging the law in Marseille, she walked into the local opera house and main-charactered her way onto the stage. She was a powerhouse alto, and her 'bad girl' reputation actually helped sell out shows.

She was the original 'it girl' who turned her legal troubles into a viral marketing campaign. Fans weren't just there for the music; they were there for the drama.

Eventually, she got bored and headed back to Paris to join the National Opera. She bet her talent was too big to jail, and she was right.