Jeanne Louise Antonini was born to Pierre Jean Antonini and Louise Le Boucle in Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica. Both of her parents were involved in the freedom movement of Corsica after the French conquest of Corsica and were followers of Pasquale Paoli. Antonini had two older siblings. Her older sister entered a convent and her brother died at sea. Her father died and her mother met an unknown fate resulting in Antonini being an orphan by age ten.