Felice della Rovere
Encyclopedia
Felice della Rovere also known as Madonna Felice, was an illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius II
and was one of the most powerful women of the Italian Renaissance
. Through the influence of her father, including an arranged marriage to Gian Giordano Orsini, she wielded extraordinary wealth and influence both within and beyond the Roman Curia
. In particular, she negotiated a peace between Julius II and the Queen of France.
Della Rovere's mother was Lucrezia Normanni, from an ancient Roman family, for whom Julius II had arranged a marriage to Bernardino de Cupis, a majordomo in the della Rovere household. Giovanni Domenico de Cupis
, the son of Normanni and de Cupis, was elevated to a cardinal by Leo X. There is limited documentary evidence that della Rovere was married at 14, and was widowed shortly afterward. According to Murphy, della Rovere de facto filled "the role that she knew would have been hers had she been born a boy, that of cardinal nipote
".
Julius II, who had apparently previously attempted to arrange strategic marriages for his daughter, did not attend her nuptials when she finally consented to marry Gian Giordano Orsini (more than twenty years her senior) at the age of 23. Subsequently, financial records, secondary sources, documents in the Orsini archives, and letters to and from Felice indicate that she exercised considerable influence over not only Julius II, but his Medici successors Pope Leo X
and Pope Clement VII
, although not the Dutch outsider Pope Adrian VI
.
At some point after her marriage, Felice apparently reconciled with her father and received a gift of 9,000 ducats. With these funds, she purchased a castle, Palo, from which she exported wheat with great financial success, often to the Vatican itself.
After the death of Gian Giordano in 1517, Felice gained control of the extensive Orsini financial assets, as the terms of her marriage contract to Orsini had also provided for any future son of hers to take precedence over Napoleone and the other children from Orsini's previous marriage). Felice begot two sons, Francesco and Girolamo, choosing the second as the heir to the Orsini fortune (and thus ensuring a rivalry with Napoleone), as well as two daughters—Giulia and Clarice— another child died during infancy. Following the Sack of Rome (1527)
, the long-running rivalry between her son Girolamo Orsini and her stepson, Napoleone Orsini, intensified.
Subsequently she was married to Antonello di Sanseverino, the exiled Prince of Salerno and the nephew of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro
, Duke of Urbino. Her descendants married into the Sforza
, Borghese, and Boncompagni-Ludovisi families.
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
and was one of the most powerful women of the Italian Renaissance
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance began the opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe...
. Through the influence of her father, including an arranged marriage to Gian Giordano Orsini, she wielded extraordinary wealth and influence both within and beyond the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
. In particular, she negotiated a peace between Julius II and the Queen of France.
Della Rovere's mother was Lucrezia Normanni, from an ancient Roman family, for whom Julius II had arranged a marriage to Bernardino de Cupis, a majordomo in the della Rovere household. Giovanni Domenico de Cupis
Giovanni Domenico de Cupis
Giovanni Domenico de Cupis was an Italian Cardinal, created by Pope Leo X in the consistory of July 1, 1517.He was Crown-cardinal of Scotland. He was a friend of Ignatius Loyola....
, the son of Normanni and de Cupis, was elevated to a cardinal by Leo X. There is limited documentary evidence that della Rovere was married at 14, and was widowed shortly afterward. According to Murphy, della Rovere de facto filled "the role that she knew would have been hers had she been born a boy, that of cardinal nipote
Cardinal-nephew
A cardinal-nephew is a cardinal elevated by a Pope who is that cardinal's uncle, or, more generally, his relative. The practice of creating cardinal-nephews originated in the Middle Ages, and reached its apex during the 16th and 17th centuries. The word nepotism originally referred specifically to...
".
Julius II, who had apparently previously attempted to arrange strategic marriages for his daughter, did not attend her nuptials when she finally consented to marry Gian Giordano Orsini (more than twenty years her senior) at the age of 23. Subsequently, financial records, secondary sources, documents in the Orsini archives, and letters to and from Felice indicate that she exercised considerable influence over not only Julius II, but his Medici successors Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X
Pope Leo X , born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses...
and Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII
Clement VII , born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, was a cardinal from 1513 to 1523 and was Pope from 1523 to 1534.-Early life:...
, although not the Dutch outsider Pope Adrian VI
Pope Adrian VI
Pope Adrian VI , born Adriaan Florenszoon Boeyens, served as Pope from 9 January 1522 until his death some 18 months later...
.
At some point after her marriage, Felice apparently reconciled with her father and received a gift of 9,000 ducats. With these funds, she purchased a castle, Palo, from which she exported wheat with great financial success, often to the Vatican itself.
After the death of Gian Giordano in 1517, Felice gained control of the extensive Orsini financial assets, as the terms of her marriage contract to Orsini had also provided for any future son of hers to take precedence over Napoleone and the other children from Orsini's previous marriage). Felice begot two sons, Francesco and Girolamo, choosing the second as the heir to the Orsini fortune (and thus ensuring a rivalry with Napoleone), as well as two daughters—Giulia and Clarice— another child died during infancy. Following the Sack of Rome (1527)
Sack of Rome (1527)
The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...
, the long-running rivalry between her son Girolamo Orsini and her stepson, Napoleone Orsini, intensified.
Subsequently she was married to Antonello di Sanseverino, the exiled Prince of Salerno and the nephew of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro
Guidobaldo da Montefeltro
thumb|240px|Portrait of Guidobaldo da Montefeltro by [[Raphael]].Guidobaldo da Montefeltro , also known as Guidobaldo I, was an Italian condottiero and the Duke of Urbino from 1482 to 1508.-Biography:...
, Duke of Urbino. Her descendants married into the Sforza
House of Sforza
Sforza was a ruling family of Renaissance Italy, based in Milan.-History:The dynasty was founded by Muzio Attendolo , called Sforza , a condottiero from Romagna serving the Angevin kings of Naples...
, Borghese, and Boncompagni-Ludovisi families.