House of della Rovere

Coat of arms of the Della Rovere. The name means of the oak tree.

Della Rovere is a noble family of Italy. Coming from modest beginnings in Savona, Liguria, the family rose to prominence through nepotism and ambitious marriages arranged by two Della Rovere popes, Francesco della Rovere, who ruled as Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) and his nephew Giuliano (Pope Julius II, 1503-1513). Pope Sixtus IV is known for having built the Sistine Chapel, which is named for him. The Basilica San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome is the family church of the della Rovere.

Guidobaldo da Montefeltro adopted Francesco Maria I della Rovere, his sister's child and nephew of Pope Julius II. Guidobaldo I, who was heirless, called Francesco Maria at his court, and named him as heir of the Duchy of Urbino in 1504, this through the intercession of Julius II. In 1508, Francesco Maria inherited the duchy thereby starting the line of Rovere Dukes of Urbino. That dynasty ended in 1626 when Pope Urban VIII incorporated Urbino into the papal dominions. As compensation to the last sovereign duke, the title only could be continued by Francesco Maria II, and after his death by his heir, Federico Ubaldo.

Vittoria, last descendant of the della Rovere family (she was the only child of Federico Ubaldo), married Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. They had two children: Cosimo III, Tuscany's longest reigning monarch, and Francesco Maria de' Medici, a prince of the Church.

Rovere Dukes of Urbino (1508)

1. Francesco Maria I della Rovere (1490–1538)
2. Guidobaldo II della Rovere (1514–1574)
3. Francesco Maria II della Rovere (1549–1631) - duchy abolished, title continued
4. Federico Ubaldo della Rovere (1605–1623) - title became extinct with his death

Family tree

Dotted lines indicate aliases (where a person appears more than once in the tree.
Small caps text indicates the surname of the children (regardless of number) of a union.
All persons have the surname Della Rovere unless otherwise indicated.

Leonardo (Beltramo) of Savona (b.?- c. 1430)

Francesco (Pope Sixtus IV) (1414-1484)

Luchina (1415-1495)

Basso della Rovere

Giovanni Basso, marchese di Bistagno e di Monastero (d. 1481)

Cardinal Girolamo Basso della Rovere

Franchetta (1417- c. 1485)

Bartolomeo Armoino (d. c. 1470)

Pellina (1418-1470)

Giuppo della Rovere

Nobile Pietro Giuppo (d. 1490)

Maria (1420- c. 1490)

Giacomo Basso dei marchesi di Bistagno e Monastero (d. 1465)

Bianca (1421-1473)

Riario della Rovere

Paolo Riario (d. 1460)

Raffaele della Rovere (1423-1477), made Senator of Rome

Giuliano della Rovere (Pope Julius II) (1443-1513)

Teodora Manirolo (d. c. 1480)

Leonardo (1445-1475) Duke of Arce 1472 and Sora 1474, Prefect of Rome 1473

Giovanna of Aragon, natural daughter of King Ferrante I of Naples

Giovanni della Rovere (d. 1501) Duke of Sora, son in law of Federico da Montefeltro Duke of Urbino

Francesco Maria I, Duke of Urbino (1490-1538) Duke of Sora

Guidobaldo II Duke of Urbino (1517-1574)

Francesco Maria II, Duke of Urbino (1549-1631) Duke of Sora

Federico Ubaldo, Duke of Urbino (1605-1625)

Vittoria (1622-1694)

Livia

Bartolomeo (1447-1494), Bishop of Massa 1472 and Ferrara 1474

Cardinal Giulio Feltrio della Rovere, (d. 1578)

Ippolito (illegitimate), Marchese di San Lorenzo (d. 1620)

Livia

Luchina (1451-1515)

Giulia della Rovere (d. 1563)

Giulio (d. 1636)

Franciotti della Rovere

Lucrezia

Gian Francesco Franciotti (d. 1475)

Ippolito Lante Montefeltro della Rovere

Marcantonio Lante

Gara della Rovere

Thales Leonardo Della Rovere Felix Da Silva(singer brazilian) (séc. XXI)

References

• Genealogy of Leonardo della Rovere