Françoise Pitel

Who was Françoise Pitel?

Françoise "Fanchon" Pitel de Longchamp was a French actress. She retired from the theater in 1701 and became a mistress of Louis, le Grand Dauphin, by whom she had three daughters.

She was born on January 17, 1662, in Grenoble to Henri Pitel de Longchamp and Charlotte Legrand. Her father, mother, maternal grandfather, sister and brother-in-law were all actors. Her uncle Jean Patin, also an actor, was married to Jeanne Beauval, an actress who was famous for her contagious laughter.

On November 27, 1679, she married the talented French actor Jean-Baptiste Raisin. Over the course of their fourteen-year marriage, she bore him eight children. After his death in September 1693, she became a mistress of Louis de Bourbon, Dauphin of France and had three daughters by him:

Mlle de Fleury, born in Meudon, died young.

Anne-Louise, Mlle de Fleury, later Mme d'Avaugour, married Anne Errard, marquis d'Avaugour.

Charlotte, Mlle de Fleury, later Mme de La Jonchère, married Gérard Michel de La Jonchère.

She died on September 30, 1721, in Vignats.