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The Pope's Daughter: The Extraordinary Life of Felice della Rovere

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This is a fascinating biography of Felice della Rovere, illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius II, the great Renaissance pope. Felice, however, was important and influential in her own right, and the author, with thorough research, has vividly provided an engrossing story of Felice's life, including her childhood; marriages and children; her complex relationship with her father, the pope; and her rise to power, political influence, and wealth within Renaissance Italy. The author convincingly contends that Felice became the most powerful woman of her time, and yet, strangely, her story has not been told before. The biography of this remarkable women is enhanced with the backdrop of life in Renaissance Rome and the surrounding Italian countryside; the life of the city streets, the day-to-day workings of the great palaces, how the economy worked, wars, the lives and works of the great painters Michelangelo and Raphael, and the intrigues of the nobility are all described. Dozens of beautiful black and white illustrations are placed at the beginning of each chapter, and an attractive set of color plates highlights key persons, important paintings, and castles and palaces of the era. Strongly recommended for readers interested in women's history, the history of the Renaissance and the history of Rome.

It was Rome, 1483. If ever a baby was doomed by birth, it was Felice Della Rovere. The odds were stacked against her. She was female and illegitimate. Nonetheless she rose above the liabilities of birth to become the most powerful woman in Rome. The story of her life, as related by Harvard art historian Caroline P. Murphy is fascinating, as her achievements rival those of any contemporary woman.

It was one thing to be born illegitimate during the Renaissance, quite another to be the illegitimate daughter of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere who would become Pope Julius II. Not a gentle leader, Julius was known as "The Warrior Pope," one who despised and reviled the rather hedonistic lifestyles of the Borgias. Nonetheless, he was in some ways a helpful father, seeing to the advantageous marriage of his daughter to a member of the wealthy Orsini family, which gave Felice access to the means necessary to amass a personal estate. Felice had been married once before but left a young widow. (The name of her first husband could not be traced).

She was raised in her mother's home and learned much of intrigue and manipulation during her formative years. When her father was elected to the papacy she became quite useful to him as a runner of errands. She was witness to the painting of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, and the laying of a foundation for a new St. Peter's. Felice may well have inherited her ambition from her father who sought greater Roman power.

Upon the death of Julius II, Felice used the Orsini family influence to become a friend of cardinals. She understood politics well, and used this knowledge to great advantage. Even the sack of Rome in 1527 did not see her downfall, as she successfully arranged safe passage for herself and her offspring to Urbino.

Murphy enriches Felice's story with myriad details regarding her daily life, whether it is the overseeing of servants, seeing to her gardens and wine cellars, cosseting the influential, bribing officials, or even arranging a murder, which we are told was commonplace in that day and time.

Felice's story may have been lost to us for half a century, but after reading "The Pope's Daughter" this incredible woman will not be forgotten again.

- Gail Cooke

For the reader familiar with early sixteenth-century Rome, Caroline Murphy's book is a carefully compiled compendium of images and priceless facts, albeit some treading on familiar ground, for example the horrific Sack of Rome or the sexual anarchy in the Vatican during the reign of the infamous Borgia pope. Yet, there is so much new material on a fascinating woman, that even general readers interested in history should be mesmerized by it. The lives of numerous old baronial families form a foundation for the story of the Della Rovere and Orsini clans, of the militant Pope Julius, Felice's father, and the lords of Bracciano, the stronghold of the Orsini's. Minute details of everyday life in Rome enclose the broader picture of a papal daughter who governed her family with a suprisingly strong hand, long after her papal father died. Images of lavish feasts, rebuilding of St. Peter's, and perpetual enminity between the ruling clans are just minute details of an elaborate and very enjoyable reading. Although a page-turner, be prepared to move slowly, because the thousands of facts will demand time to savor them! Definitely not a quick read for most. Highly recommended.

Caroline Murphy has sketched an extraordinary life. Felice della Rovere's worlds -- personal and political -- were complicated ones, and she seems to have been amazing in how she negotiated them. I say "seems" because it's very often difficult to tell whether the author is basing a statement on solid evidence or whether she is taking a leap -- about an action, about a motivation, about an emotion -- a sort of best guess based on the evidence. That's often frustrating and often downright irritating, but all in all it's worth it to see the shape, if not the real substance, of the life.

This is the second book I've read by this author. I hope Caroline Murphy keeps researching Renaissance women and writing books.

In both this book and Murder of a Medici Princess the author assembles a lot of information and presents it in a way the lay reader can really enjoy. Chapters in both books are chronological which helps the lay reader understand the complexity of the historical setting. Some chapters describe the episodes of the subjects' lives, in others there are lifestyle descriptions. The famous persons of the time are covered as they relate to the principle, and not used as a crutch to fill in a story.

While the books are chronological, my reading of them wasn't. Felice della Rovere is the grandmother to the spouse of Isabella de Medici, the subject of the newer book.

Both books appear to be the only full length biographies that exist for these women, which, beyond rescuing these women from obscurity, makes this an achievement for the author. Both of Murphy's subjects were important women of their times. While they led lives that transcended contemporary gender roles, their stories, as presented by Murphy, help the modern reader to better understand the social structure of Renaissance Italy.

If you, like me, know little about this period, the Murphy biographies give you the context to understand the times through the people. Being the only full bios on these women, there is also plenty for those who are more knowledgeable about this period.

An interesting book,detailing events in Rome c.1500. Easy to read and well told,I would recommend it if you like history.Is cheap for such a scolarly work. Not prejudiced and fairly told.No complaints except I got confused sometimes by "who"the person that was mentioned. That's my fault,maybe,but a caracter guide would have been welcome.I would like to read more of this type of history book,the period is so interesting. Padraic O Cinneide. Kildare,Ireland

This is an interesting and scholarly work by Caroline P. Murphy about Felice della Rovere, the daughter of Pope Julius II. Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. Felice was nearly lost to history but in the time of the Italian Renaissance, was a powerful woman in her own right. This is a fascinating study about an equally fascinating woman.

Prior to reading this book I was completely unaware of Felice della Rovere. She was a very interesting and enterprising Medieval Noblewoman. Her times are very interesting to read about and Caroline Murphy describes them very well. The description of the sack of Rome by forces of Charles V is especially vivid. Having previously read Murder of a Medici Princess, I look forward to more of Murphy's work.
John Beyerlein[...]

Historical books can be fun reads and this one proves it. After reading this book and the other in the same time period, I feel like I know the Renaissance better especially the social structure and daily life. Felice della Rovere was an important woman of her time and she led a life that was so much more than you'd have guessed for a woman of that time.

Wonderful story about a strong woman and a time in history which I know ittle. Highly Recommend this book.