Born in 1673, Julie d’Aubigny, later famed as La Maupin, defied every convention of her era. Trained in swordsmanship by her father, she became as skilled with a blade as any man. After a youthful scandal involving an affair and a flight from Paris, she joined a traveling troupe—fencing for crowds by day, singing in taverns by night. Her opera talent soon earned her a place on the stage of the Paris Opera, where her contralto voice captivated audiences. Yet her offstage exploits made her truly i