Françoise de Graffigny (d'Issembourg d'Happoncourt, Grafigny)

Other names/titles:
Gender: F
Ethnic origin: White

Biographical details

She was born in 1695 in Lorraine with the name Françoise d´Issembourg d´Happoncourt. She married François Hugenot in 1712 and took the name Graffigny from one of his estates. They legally separated after he had embezzled their collective wealth. In 1738 she moved to Paris where she wrote stories and plays to support herself. Nouvelle espagnole (1745) and her plays Cénie (1750) and La fille d'Aristide. She also wrote stories to educate children at the Vienna Court. Her novel, Lettres d'une Péruvienne was published in 1747. It tells the story of an Inca princess, Zilia, through her letters to her betrothed Aza, who is taken to France and educated in ideas of the enlightenment. The novel was very popular in the hundred years following its publication and it had over 130 editions, reprints and translations. Including one 1823 edition into Spanish, with Aza's letters to Zilia included. She died in 1758. (DeJean, ix-xii)

Life Events

Born	1695
Married	1712	She married François Hugent.
Other	1738	She moved to Paris.
Other	1745	She wrote a book of short stories, Nouvelle espagnole.
Other	1747	She wrote Lettres d'une Péruvienne.
Other	1750	She wrote a play, Cénie.
Died	1758

References

Graffigny, Françoise, (1993), Letters from a Peruvian Woman

Grafigny, Françoise, (1823), Cartas peruanas escritas en frances por Madama de Grafigny

Publications

Book: Letters from a Peruvian Woman

Book: Cartas peruanas escritas en frances por Madama de Grafigny

Links

Resource id #35 (20)

Resource id #39 (7)

Resource id #43 (38)

Resource id #47 (49)

Resource id #51 (14)

Gendering Latin American Independence

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