ABSTRACT
Denis Diderot's novel La Religieuse, one of the most famous representations of Catholic women in Enlightenment literature, draws inspiration from several real figures. The monstrous villain of the novel, a lesbian mother superior who tries to corrupt the narrator, has been identified with Adelaide d'Orleans, the Abbess of Chelles. All of the daughters of the Duchess of Orleans were rumored to be libertines whose life styles provided fuel for speculation and also material for the early media of the eighteenth century. Members of the House of Orleans were so thoroughly identified with libertine scandals that a less interesting explanation would be unlikely to satisfy the wits of Paris. The Abbey of Chelles, a royal abbey and one of the most ancient in France, was a destination which confirmed Adelaide d'Orleans' position in the highest ranks of society. In introducing the work of the Sisters of Nevers, Madame d'Orleans changed the daily life of the town of Chelles.
