Julie d'Aubigny: The Most Scandalous Woman in French History

Meet Julie d'Aubigny, the 17th-century opera star who lived like an action movie hero. By day, she dazzled audiences at the Paris Opera. By night, she dueled men in the streets, seduced both men and women, and caused scandals that shocked even the French court.

When Julie fell in love with a nun, she didn't just write love letters - she joined the convent as a fake nun, seduced her target, then burned the whole place down to cover their escape. She killed three men in a single evening during separate duels, crashed royal balls dressed as a man, and once kissed a woman at a party just to scandalize the guests (then killed her boyfriend in a duel when he complained).

King Louis XIV himself had to repeatedly pardon her crimes because she was just too entertaining to execute. From her affair with a famous count to her legendary sword skills, Julie lived a life so outrageous that people thought she was fictional.

This episode explores how one woman broke every rule of 17th-century society and somehow became a beloved celebrity instead of losing her head.

Keywords: weird history, Julie d'Aubigny, French history, opera history, 17th century France, historical scandals, French opera, unusual women in history, Louis XIV