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The Pope's Daughter: The Extraordinary Life of Felice della Rovere
The illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius II, Felice della Rovere became one of the most powerful and accomplished women of the Italian Renaissance. Now, Caroline Murphy vividly captures the untold story of a rare woman who moved with confidence through a world of popes and princes. Using a wide variety of sources, including Felice's personal correspondence, as well as diaries, account books, and chronicles of Renaissance Rome, Murphy skillfully weaves a compelling portrait of this remarkable woman. Felice della Rovere was to witness Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel, watch her father Pope Julius II lay the foundation stone for the new Saint Peter's, and see herself immortalized by Raphael in his Vatican frescos. With her marriage to Gian Giordano Orsini--arranged, though not attended, by her father the Pope--she came to possess great wealth and power, assets which she turned to her advantage. While her father lived, Felice exercised much influence in the affairs of Rome--even negotiating for peace with the Queen of France--and after his death, Felice persevered, making allies of the cardinals and clerics of St. Peter's and maintaining her control of the Orsini land through tenacity, ingenuity, and carefully cultivated political savvy. She survived the Sack of Rome in 1527, but her greatest enemy proved to be her own stepson Napoleone. The rivalry between him and her son Girolamo had a sudden and violent end, and brought her perilously close to losing everything she had spent her life acquiring. With a marvelous cast of characters, this is a spellbinding biography set against the brilliant backdrop of Renaissance Rome.
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
April 25, 2010
This book is about that other papal bastard, not the infamous Lucrezia Borgia, of whom numerous biographies --- some more salacious than others --- have been written in the last five hundred years. Apparently, this book is also the only biography of Felice della Rovere that has ever seen print. It’s easy to discern why --- compared to Lucrezia, who (among other things) is accused by some of having an incestuous relationship with her father, Pope Alexander VI, Felice lived the relatively dull, virtuous life of a Renaissance clan matron. She was married twice, both arranged by her father for dynastic/political purposes, the second one to a scion of the powerful Orsini family, whose continuing street brawls with the Collonnas make the Capulets/Montagues feud looks like a schoolyard fight. In fact, their everlasting vendetta against each other drove the Papacy away from Rome for a while, and Julius II, Felice’s father, was desperate to engineer peace between the two clans. Marrying his bastard daughter into the troublesome, warlike family would ensure that they toed the papal line.
Unlike his predecessor (and arch-enemy) Alexander VI, who had numerous illegitimate children from several different mistresses, Julius was actually considered quite chaste --- the ‘Warrior Pope’ was more interested in making war than love. His having a daughter was nothing strange in an age when the preferred vice for a Catholic priest was not pedophilia but plain old-fashioned fornication with women, preferably aristocratic ones. The children that issued from such relationships became valuable pawns in their fathers’ political games and were mated with the sons of the powerful families that effectively ruled Italy. Their relatives, in turn, were given cardinals’ hats through blatant acts of nepotism (non-relatives were expected to engage in simony --- the Vatican did not believe in freebies for strangers).
Felice, despite having an unblemished reputation, was an adept of all the aristocratic arts of the day, which included everything that Macchiavelli advocated short of murder. Apparently, had she been born a man she would have been a formidable player, but being female, she had to be contented with being the dynastic brood mare of the Orsinis. When her mercenary husband died, she became the regent for her small sons and the de-facto ruler of the Orsini fiefdom. She spent the rest of her life managing the vast estates and outwitting the clan enemies, as well as envious, even murderous in-laws. She not only survived, but was able to hand over the family patrimony largely intact to her sons (who turned out to be totally undeserving, but that’s another story). To her credit, she was also piously charitable, ever ready to listen to sob stories and share her estate’s bounty with hard-luck tenant farmers and loyal retainers.
The story of her life, although not as piquant as Lucrezia’s, is an interesting glimpse into a fascinating period in Italian history; it was during her father’s reign that St. Peter was built and the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo. Raphael preserved her likeness in frescoes commissioned by the pope. She survived the sack of Rome by paying an enormous ransom, fleeing the city in a disguise.
Not much is known about her private thoughts, save for a few hints gleaned from official correspondences, and it seems that the author had to form quite a number of conjectures about them. It’s hard to know which are hard facts and which are mere inferences as there is a dearth of footnotes about them. It makes her story reads more smoothly, but is it really an accurate portrait?
Unlike his predecessor (and arch-enemy) Alexander VI, who had numerous illegitimate children from several different mistresses, Julius was actually considered quite chaste --- the ‘Warrior Pope’ was more interested in making war than love. His having a daughter was nothing strange in an age when the preferred vice for a Catholic priest was not pedophilia but plain old-fashioned fornication with women, preferably aristocratic ones. The children that issued from such relationships became valuable pawns in their fathers’ political games and were mated with the sons of the powerful families that effectively ruled Italy. Their relatives, in turn, were given cardinals’ hats through blatant acts of nepotism (non-relatives were expected to engage in simony --- the Vatican did not believe in freebies for strangers).
Felice, despite having an unblemished reputation, was an adept of all the aristocratic arts of the day, which included everything that Macchiavelli advocated short of murder. Apparently, had she been born a man she would have been a formidable player, but being female, she had to be contented with being the dynastic brood mare of the Orsinis. When her mercenary husband died, she became the regent for her small sons and the de-facto ruler of the Orsini fiefdom. She spent the rest of her life managing the vast estates and outwitting the clan enemies, as well as envious, even murderous in-laws. She not only survived, but was able to hand over the family patrimony largely intact to her sons (who turned out to be totally undeserving, but that’s another story). To her credit, she was also piously charitable, ever ready to listen to sob stories and share her estate’s bounty with hard-luck tenant farmers and loyal retainers.
The story of her life, although not as piquant as Lucrezia’s, is an interesting glimpse into a fascinating period in Italian history; it was during her father’s reign that St. Peter was built and the Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo. Raphael preserved her likeness in frescoes commissioned by the pope. She survived the sack of Rome by paying an enormous ransom, fleeing the city in a disguise.
Not much is known about her private thoughts, save for a few hints gleaned from official correspondences, and it seems that the author had to form quite a number of conjectures about them. It’s hard to know which are hard facts and which are mere inferences as there is a dearth of footnotes about them. It makes her story reads more smoothly, but is it really an accurate portrait?
June 28, 2012
There are many things I could say about this book. Unfortunately, not all of them are good. Let’s start with the goods things. She is obviously very passionate about her subject matter, in this case Felice della Rovere. Another impressive aspect about this book is Caroline Murphy strives to bring to life an important Renaissance figure who has faded into obscurity despite being fairly prominent during her day. While she was not as infamous as Caterina Sforza or the other pope’s daughter, Lucrezia Borgia, Felice della Rovere accomplished the same things they did. She carved out a spot for herself in a man’s world; however, Felice went about it in a completely different manner. While Caterina Sforza strove to be mistress of her own estate, Felice did so mainly to ensure the future of her children, children who would ultimately let her down. She seemed to do whatever she could to distance herself from Lucrezia by acting in a supportive capacity for her father and future popes instead of drawing attention to herself. Because she did so much in the background, there are some points where the author has to use her imagination to fill in the gaps of her life. This would have worked extraordinarily well in a novel, but this was not a novel. Not to mention, I find it difficult to believe that had Felice been alive, she would have somehow been able to prevent the death of her daughter. They lived in southern Italy, far away from her mother, and her husband strangled her for being unable to bear him sons. I think it is a stretch to imagine that if he was driven by such passion to kill his wife that respect for her living mother would have stopped him.
Now, here’s the downside to this book. For an Oxford Press book, I was surprised to find it was riddled with errors, some editorial, but also some factual. When I first picked up the book, I flipped through the index out of curiosity to see if Ferrante d’Este was mentioned at all. He was, but the index also listed instances of Ferrante Gonzaga, and seemed to be confused as to which Ferrante the text was referring to. Pages marked for d’Este were actually about Gonzaga and vice-versa. That is the fault of whoever compiled the index, not the author, but I wish I could say that the errors ended there. At one point, her husband was stated as being born in 1560, despite the fact that she died in 1536. That was a relatively simple error that any editor should have been able to catch before it went to print. There was another typographical error later on that spelled ‘too’ as ‘ttoo.’ These errors, however, while mildly annoying, are forgivable.
The factual errors, or in this case the one that I found, make it difficult to trust the rest of her research. At one point, she talks about Felice’s marriage options into the Este family which apparently were being negotiated. At that time, she refers to Ferrante d’Este as Ercole’s youngest son. A simple google search will tell you that he was born in 1477, several years before some of his brothers, so unless she has access to some super secret birth records that completely change the birth order of the Este family… Another review on a different website remarked that Caroline Murphy’s Latin was frequently mistranslated, errors that I would not have been able to catch not knowing Latin myself. I just wonder how much of her research I can actually trust when she had something as simple as the Este birth order wrong.
The other problem I had with this book was that since so much of Felice’s life is a mystery, a lot of detail was presented on the histories of the families she interacted with and the places she frequented. About a fourth of the book could be trimmed if we decide to focus only on the information that was directly pertinent to Felice’s life.
Despite its flaws, I still need to give the author credit for focusing so intently on a project she was passionate about and bringing to life the other Pope’s daughter, the one who while intuitive and resourceful for her time, unfortunately faded into obscurity.
Now, here’s the downside to this book. For an Oxford Press book, I was surprised to find it was riddled with errors, some editorial, but also some factual. When I first picked up the book, I flipped through the index out of curiosity to see if Ferrante d’Este was mentioned at all. He was, but the index also listed instances of Ferrante Gonzaga, and seemed to be confused as to which Ferrante the text was referring to. Pages marked for d’Este were actually about Gonzaga and vice-versa. That is the fault of whoever compiled the index, not the author, but I wish I could say that the errors ended there. At one point, her husband was stated as being born in 1560, despite the fact that she died in 1536. That was a relatively simple error that any editor should have been able to catch before it went to print. There was another typographical error later on that spelled ‘too’ as ‘ttoo.’ These errors, however, while mildly annoying, are forgivable.
The factual errors, or in this case the one that I found, make it difficult to trust the rest of her research. At one point, she talks about Felice’s marriage options into the Este family which apparently were being negotiated. At that time, she refers to Ferrante d’Este as Ercole’s youngest son. A simple google search will tell you that he was born in 1477, several years before some of his brothers, so unless she has access to some super secret birth records that completely change the birth order of the Este family… Another review on a different website remarked that Caroline Murphy’s Latin was frequently mistranslated, errors that I would not have been able to catch not knowing Latin myself. I just wonder how much of her research I can actually trust when she had something as simple as the Este birth order wrong.
The other problem I had with this book was that since so much of Felice’s life is a mystery, a lot of detail was presented on the histories of the families she interacted with and the places she frequented. About a fourth of the book could be trimmed if we decide to focus only on the information that was directly pertinent to Felice’s life.
Despite its flaws, I still need to give the author credit for focusing so intently on a project she was passionate about and bringing to life the other Pope’s daughter, the one who while intuitive and resourceful for her time, unfortunately faded into obscurity.
December 30, 2021
I'm a reluctant reader when it comes to nonfiction, but I really did enjoy this.
Felice della Rovere, daughter of Pope Julius II, as painted by Raphael
Felice della Rovere, daughter of Pope Julius II, as painted by Raphael
May 6, 2013
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.
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.
October 29, 2013
If anyone should've been made a cardinal in the 16th century Catholic Church, it should've been Felice della Rovere, bastard daughter of Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, later Pope Julius II ! Caroline Murphy's portrait of this remarkable woman is well-written, well-documented & fascinating enough to keep me up until 2AM reading it! I would love to have known Felice, a truly "self-made" woman who defied the tremendous societal odds against her and rose to be the most powerful woman, or at least one of the most powerful, in her era. She knew Vatican & Roman politics like the back of her hand, and used it, not only to her & her children's advantage, but to that of the whole Orsini clan. It was surprising & comforting to know that when I was in Rome in 1998, I'd been at (probably looking at) the palace on Piazza Navona where she lived, & at or near other places of interest to her there (Trinità dei Monti; Campo de Fiore, Trastevere, etc.). I also learned a lot about the sack of Rome in 1527 which I'd either missed or forgotten about, & gained some insight into the history which has enabled Roman cardinals to become entrenched as "princes", up to the present.
December 23, 2025
4.5. Compelling narrative biography of Felice della Rovere and her world. At its best the closer it sticks to Felice herself, some motivations and actions of other figures are misrepresented (I especially found it troubling with Lucrezia Borgia. The author wants to set them up as foils, both Pope's daughters on opposite sides with different relationships to their fathers, and that works well, but Lucrezia herself is frequently mischaracterized to make Felice look good when really they're both compelling people more similar than not). The tension of the tumultuous hot and cold relationship with Pope Julius II Is particularly fascinating, and the Sack of Rome and the tough years that follow are heartrending and visceral. I found it odd that, despite the strong emphasis on the friendship and partnership with Leo de Medici, both before and after his papacy, absolutely no mention is made of the defining della Rovere-de Medici event (before Felice's birth, but in Leo's childhood): the so-called Pazzi Conspiracy. Good, beautifully readable, accessible to a lay audience.
September 12, 2021
Denna biografi, över godsägarinnan, diplomaten och påvebastarden Felice della Rovere är extremt bra. Den beskriver saker på ett levande sätt, innehåller spetsfundiga detaljer och formuleringar, och ger läsaren en känsla för huvudpersonens prioriteringar.
Normalt är biografier inte något man återvänder till; denna kanske kommer att tillhöra undantagen. Jag rekommenderar den för alla historienördar.
Normalt är biografier inte något man återvänder till; denna kanske kommer att tillhöra undantagen. Jag rekommenderar den för alla historienördar.
May 28, 2023
A história é interessante e baseada em documentos históricos. Acho que por isso mesmo faltam insights sobre o que realmente pensavam e sentiam as pessoas.
May 1, 2013
This history book tells the life story of a woman who grew from unusual origins to positions of power and influence in an era when that was tough for a woman.
The fundamental subject matter is interesting. It gives a view into life in the 1500s, into the relationship between religion and politics in the era, and into the role of women in society at that time. In addition, the character at the center of the novel is without doubt fascinating.
The style of writing is quite dry. This is more of a history book than it is a compelling story. In some ways this is preferable - the book avoids all the frustrating fictionalisation that can make one sceptical of what really is true. However, the author is at pains to report some facts that might have been better left unreported. Too much time is given to enumerating lists of stuff bought, sold or used and prices and details.
A related problem is that lots of the most interesting questions about this woman aren't answered by any available source material. Which make some parts of the story frustratingly lacking in detail. It is clear that the author has worked hard to fill in many of the gaps, but there is much left unsatisfyingly open.
I didn't love reading this, but I did really enjoy the information I got about the period. Somewhat recommended.
The fundamental subject matter is interesting. It gives a view into life in the 1500s, into the relationship between religion and politics in the era, and into the role of women in society at that time. In addition, the character at the center of the novel is without doubt fascinating.
The style of writing is quite dry. This is more of a history book than it is a compelling story. In some ways this is preferable - the book avoids all the frustrating fictionalisation that can make one sceptical of what really is true. However, the author is at pains to report some facts that might have been better left unreported. Too much time is given to enumerating lists of stuff bought, sold or used and prices and details.
A related problem is that lots of the most interesting questions about this woman aren't answered by any available source material. Which make some parts of the story frustratingly lacking in detail. It is clear that the author has worked hard to fill in many of the gaps, but there is much left unsatisfyingly open.
I didn't love reading this, but I did really enjoy the information I got about the period. Somewhat recommended.
August 16, 2013
This book is a cross between a PhD dissertation and biography,but still a very enjoyable read...it is very well documented with multiple citations. An amazing story of Felice Della Rovere, a popes daughter. Excellent historical perspective on a Renaissance Rome, which I particularly enjoyed having just returned from a visit there.
July 21, 2017
Murphy elucidates another extraordinary early modern woman, likely to be less familiar to general readers than Pope Joan, other pope's daughters such as Lucrezia Borgia, or the stable of Henry VIII's wives. Felice Della Rovere's fascinating story, meticulously documented, unfolds in Murphy's customary style, which speaks well to scholars and those seriously interested in women in history.
July 25, 2023
Felice della Rovere was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius II. Her mother was Lucrezia Normanni. She was well educated, moved in high society circles, and had some very well known friends. One of her friends happened to be Catherine de' Medici, who had even came to stay with her for a time as a child. Her father made a lot of provisions for her, including wealth, education, and an arranged marriage. She had her own money and assets independent of her husband, including business in the grain trade. She also played a role in peaceful negotiations between France and the Papal States. She had several children, who went on to be well known people in their own right.
I would like to mention that it had simply never crossed my mind until I moved out of my parents house and began reading more things and beginning my college education in history that Popes and other religious figures would have illegitimate children. Obviously, we all know that people who are in trusted positions often get up to all sorts of shenanagins, and that has been made even more clear in the news recently. This type of thing is exactly why I do not agree with forced indoctrination and the insistence that religious figures are abundantly moral people. They most certainly are not. (Of course, there are decent people, but they are still people and are still flawed. The ones who commit "sins" and sexual assault on people should not be able to hide being a curtain of religion and get away with that.) Education and open dialogue are so important to people who need to be aware that things aren't always proper and that people are capable of anything.
The research on this book was done in an organized and thorough way. The subject matter was very interesting, especially since Felice was less well known than some of the other women in her time. (At least to me.) This book has excited me for the class on the Renaissance that I still have to take to finish this degree, and I am really looking forward to when that pops up in my schedule. The only real issue that I had with this book was that Felice was portrayed as a good, wholesome girl. While she may have been, it is also very important to remember that she is a human being and has flaws of her own. I think it is vital that we stop viewing historical figures in strictly black and white terms. Obviously, some do more good than others, but painting them to be completely wonderful isn't doing it for me. Overall, the book was educational and enjoyable and there isn't much negative to say about it.
I would like to mention that it had simply never crossed my mind until I moved out of my parents house and began reading more things and beginning my college education in history that Popes and other religious figures would have illegitimate children. Obviously, we all know that people who are in trusted positions often get up to all sorts of shenanagins, and that has been made even more clear in the news recently. This type of thing is exactly why I do not agree with forced indoctrination and the insistence that religious figures are abundantly moral people. They most certainly are not. (Of course, there are decent people, but they are still people and are still flawed. The ones who commit "sins" and sexual assault on people should not be able to hide being a curtain of religion and get away with that.) Education and open dialogue are so important to people who need to be aware that things aren't always proper and that people are capable of anything.
The research on this book was done in an organized and thorough way. The subject matter was very interesting, especially since Felice was less well known than some of the other women in her time. (At least to me.) This book has excited me for the class on the Renaissance that I still have to take to finish this degree, and I am really looking forward to when that pops up in my schedule. The only real issue that I had with this book was that Felice was portrayed as a good, wholesome girl. While she may have been, it is also very important to remember that she is a human being and has flaws of her own. I think it is vital that we stop viewing historical figures in strictly black and white terms. Obviously, some do more good than others, but painting them to be completely wonderful isn't doing it for me. Overall, the book was educational and enjoyable and there isn't much negative to say about it.
January 31, 2021
Not about the Lucretia Borgia. Might have been more interesting if it had been. This daughter, Felice, was a woman who carved out a life for herself well outside the restrictive conventions of the day, hence the author's interest in her, Renaissance Italy not being a time and place for feminists. However the telling of Felice's story is dry. The historical record shows that Felice defied an arranged marriage and that later on she bought a castle of her own and other actions that set her apart from what was expected of women. The author tries to breath some life into these events of her life by imagining what Felice might have been thinking or feeling. That's fine--but it was not enough. The book lacks the details about daily life that could engage the reader's imagination. The author could have described the clothing of the time, the interiors of the sumptuous homes, the conditions of travel by boat and horse, the normal routines of daily life for a daughter of an aristocratic family and the out of the normal experiences such as her boat voyages. But she didn't. So the book is about events, stripped of life. ANd she lists A LOT of names. Felice goes to a party and all you, dear reader, get to know about is who else attended, even though none of the named people are important to the narrative. What were the parties given by wealthy people like? The author doesn't say.
So...I got bored
So...I got bored
October 28, 2024
This book was wonderful to read! When history books can be so dry sometimes, this one was never a bore. Felice della Rovere lived in such interesting times. All Hell seamed to be breaking out while red Cardinal hats were given to highest bidders. Popes were worshiped and scorned. Land was a sign of wealth. Marriages were arranged for family power and blood was constantly being spilled. All of this and more is told in this book with Felice proving to be a marvelously strong, smart, and extremely clever woman in a world of rules that treated women as merchandise, bargaining chips, and breading whores. Felice’s story is a good story. She fought for her independence and the longevity of her children by using what resources she had and wealth she made for herself. I loved this book! Best 50 cents I ever spent at the library's bookstore.
October 10, 2021
This book was very well written and includes a great deal of Renaissance history including battles and art. I love to read about women who lived beyond the constraints that patrimony places upon them. I plan on reading Ms. Murphy's book about Isabella De Medici next. She was the first wife of Felice's grandson Paolo Giordano Orsini, who eventually murdered. I learned about that from another book about Renaissance Italy; Murder in the Garden of God by Eleanor Herman. In that book I read about there further exploits of Felice's grandson Paolo Giordano Orsini and how he brought ruin upon the House of Orsini. Another book that meets the timeline Felice's life is the Tigress of Froli. Catherine was married to one of Felice's father's cousins. Her story is also impressive.
June 21, 2017
When I read some of the reviews of this book, many people assailed the author/editor for mistakes with dates as well as typos. I can't attest to the dates, but I did find a number of typos. In an ARC, this is understandable. In a finished published piece, less so.
My knowledge of Italy is essentially limited to some basic art history. What I know of how the Vatican works, even less stellar. Especially in the beginning, I got very confused with names and roles.
Having said that, once I was into it, I enjoyed it more. She was a woman way ahead of her time. Very smart and she clearly cared about making sure she was giving her children the best future she could.
My knowledge of Italy is essentially limited to some basic art history. What I know of how the Vatican works, even less stellar. Especially in the beginning, I got very confused with names and roles.
Having said that, once I was into it, I enjoyed it more. She was a woman way ahead of her time. Very smart and she clearly cared about making sure she was giving her children the best future she could.
August 22, 2022
This is a pretty conventional history/biography, well researched and pretty readable. The family names and relationships get a bit unwieldy at times. But it's an interesting insight into this high period of history. It really showed the family power (and corruption) in Italy and how the Pope was really a head of state as well. Throw in Michelangelo, the Medici's and you have an insight into some of the inside baseball at the Vatican. It's easy to see why Martin Luther protested. There was a lot to protest about. Overall Felice was responding to the environment she was in and excelled at it.
June 5, 2019
The book started well and with good pace kept me engrossed until about the middle. It later lost its pace and became swamped with too many minutest details. "Felice personally authorized the movement of every bushel of grain..." and I felt I was counting along with her. The story would benefit from being shorter but more concise. There were a lot of repetitions and some far-fetched conclusions too. 3 stars
September 11, 2025
Very well written book, I got a real feel for the development of Rome during the Renaissance period and what the Sack did to the city.
Felice was an incredible woman and true leader, following in her father's footsteps. The illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius only made her more capable in providing for herself and her family.
If you have an interest in Italian history and/or what a woman can do, read this book.
When I get back to Rome I will visit some of the places dear to her.
Felice was an incredible woman and true leader, following in her father's footsteps. The illegitimate daughter of Pope Julius only made her more capable in providing for herself and her family.
If you have an interest in Italian history and/or what a woman can do, read this book.
When I get back to Rome I will visit some of the places dear to her.
January 21, 2018
Another fascinating bit of renaissance Italian history. The author kept my interest throughout, with a combination of fact, carefully explained supposition, and delightfully readable prose. I continue to be in love with female historians writing about women of the past, and Caroline Murphy is now on my list of authors to watch.
August 13, 2018
Book group Aug 2018. I expected a fascinating historical novel and was disappointed in the simpler historical narrative of dates and events. The writer tells of Felice but does not give her personality to be savored. She does not come alive as I had hoped. My expectations were based on a review in the New York Times.
August 1, 2020
I found this book in a Tiny Library near me at the start of the pandemic--when 'real' libraries had all closed. I did learn interesting facts about the history of Italy but I found the book itself to be ponderous and tedious.
November 26, 2020
Boring!!!
It appears to be full of facts but that is overshadowed by the author's commentary on personality traits and character motivations that cannot possibly be based upon anything but her own assumptions. Also, I found it to be so boring that my eyes crossed.
It appears to be full of facts but that is overshadowed by the author's commentary on personality traits and character motivations that cannot possibly be based upon anything but her own assumptions. Also, I found it to be so boring that my eyes crossed.
September 26, 2023
A Tolkien-esque history about a fascinating character. A must read for any Renaissance history fan, or anyone looking for a nonfiction book about a real-life absolute girl-boss. 4 stars because of a handful of editorial issues.
November 18, 2024
Maybe I rated it so high because it's been a few years and it was the best of the required reading I had to do in college, but it was a great look at the Renaissance through a fascinating woman in it!
January 14, 2018
If there is a more depressing book about an Italian woman who was treated like Cindarella, but who did not receive a rescue, I haven't found it and I hope I never do. In large part, Felice started out life a lot like Lucrezia Borgia; both were the illegitimate daughters of Catholic Cardinals in Rome. But unlike Lucrezia, who was immensely valued by her father and family and treated with deep affection, Felice was sent away from her loving, supportive mother by her cold, distant father because he regarded her as a liability to him. She was sent to his family in a rural area, and they regarded her illegitimate status with shame, and her being a girl as being saddled with a totally worthless child.
It doesn't get any better. As a matter of fact, mainly because of the way Pope Alexander treated his beloved daughter Lucrezia, her father vowed to treat her the exact opposite when he became Pope. I read on, hoping that there would be a light somewhere, but this woman never got a break. I realize that this was a true story, but I've read enough for "edification" and education in school; when I read the biography of a highly ranked woman from Renaissance Europe, I do it for entertainment. This was not entertaining; I came away feeling depressed and ripped off.
It's your choice; but I'd skip it if I couldn't get it for free at the library.
It doesn't get any better. As a matter of fact, mainly because of the way Pope Alexander treated his beloved daughter Lucrezia, her father vowed to treat her the exact opposite when he became Pope. I read on, hoping that there would be a light somewhere, but this woman never got a break. I realize that this was a true story, but I've read enough for "edification" and education in school; when I read the biography of a highly ranked woman from Renaissance Europe, I do it for entertainment. This was not entertaining; I came away feeling depressed and ripped off.
It's your choice; but I'd skip it if I couldn't get it for free at the library.
April 26, 2018
Really well written, very interesting! I enjoyed this very much
January 12, 2019
Well if you want a book that is saturated in details this is the one! It was slow and kind of painful to get through this one.
November 16, 2019
A very enlightening read. Interesting that as a person raised aCatholic this part of the church’s history doesn’t get taught. This is a scholarly read but not so dry to not be interesting.
November 5, 2023
A remarkable woman who deserves this wonderful biography.
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