Felice della Rovere
Illegitimate daughter of a Pope Julius II · Lived 1483 to 1536 · aged 53
Felice della Rovere, also known as Madonna Felice, was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius II. One of the most powerful women of the Italian Renaissance, she was born in Rome around 1483 to Lucrezia Normanni and Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere.
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A typical day, 30 days to 18 August 2026
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Palazzo della Rovere in Savona, where Felice spent her young adult years
The Orsini palace of Monte Giordano in Rome
Cancelleria (modern: Palazzo Sforza Cesarini) the location of Felice's marriage to Gian Giordano in 1506
Portrait of an unknown woman by Sebastiano del Piombo, possibly Felice, as suggested by Murphy.About this person
Felice was well educated, became accepted into close courtly circles of aristocratic families, and formed friendships with scholars and poets through her education and genuine interest in humanism. 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 peace between Julius II and the Queen of France, and held the position of Orsini Signora for over a decade following the death of her husband in 1517. Felice further increased her power through a castle that she bought with money received from her father, the Castle at Palo, and through her involvement in the grain trade.