Felice della Rovere

Felice della Rovere
Felice della Rovere portrayed by Raphael in The Mass at Bolsena, as identified by Prof. Murphy
Born	ca. 1483
Died	1536 (aged 52–53)
Spouse(s)	Unknown first husband Gian Giordano Orsini
Children	Julia (b. 1507) Giulio (b. and d. 1508) Francesco (b. 1512) Girolamo (b. 1513) Clarice (b. 1514)
Parent(s)	Pope Julius II Lucrezia Normanni

Felice della Rovere (c. 1483 – September 27, 1536), 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, later Pope Julius II. 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 a 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.

Felice gave birth to two sons, Francesco and Girolamo, choosing the second as the heir to the Orsini fortune (and thus ensuring a rivalry with her stepson, Napoleone), as well as two daughters, Julia and Clarice; another child died during infancy. Felice’s children married into prominent families: the Colonna, Sforza, Borghese, Gonzaga, and Appiani. Her Orsini offspring became the dukes of Bracciano and their lines maintained this role until 1699, when the family line became extinct. Felice's legacy lasts to this day, as Murphy has identified her in two pieces of art: Raphael’s The Mass at Bolsena, and Sebastiano del Piombo’s portrait of an unknown woman. Felice had an influence on other renaissance icons as well, evident from her correspondences with figures such as Catherine de' Medici.

The exact date of Felice della Rovere’s birth is not known. She is believed to have been born in Rome, most likely in the year 1483. Felice’s mother, Lucrezia Normanni, was born in Trastevere in Rome. Felice’s maternal lineage can be traced back to the 11th century, which, at the time of Felice’s birth, would have made the Normanni one of Rome’s oldest families. Felice’s father, Giuliano della Rovere, was born in the coastal village of Albissola in Liguria. In his youth, Giuliano was a member of the Franciscan order before being made Archbishop of Avignon by his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV. It is likely that Giuliano and Lucrezia had a brief relationship after meeting in Trastevere, where Giuliano was known to visit. Felice grew up alongside two siblings, a half-brother named Gian Domenico and a half-sister, Francesca, both of whom were born after her mother’s marriage to Bernardino de Cupis. Felice’s step-father was employed by Cardinal Girolamo Basso della Rovere as a maestro di casa, and oversaw the cardinal’s servants. Bernardino was well-rewarded by the della Rovere family and his earnings comfortably supported Felice and her family. Felice spent her early years in the de Cupis Palace in the Piazza Navona in Rome. After her father attempted to have the Borgia pope, Alexander VI, deposed in 1494, Felice was taken away from Rome and brought to the Palazzo della Rovere in Savona where she would be safe from Borgia retaliation.