Girls rock!

Today (March 8th) is a celebration of female achievement across the world. Below are five Roman women who have all left their mark upon the Eternal City.

Cecilia Metella
I have to admit that I know very little about Cecilia, other than that she was the daughter in law of Crassus, a wealthy entrepreneur who financed Julius Caesar. What I do know is that she has an amazing tomb, which in a male dominated Roman society was an achievement in itself!



Livia

Wife and mother of  Emperors Augustus and Tiberius, seen here depicted on the Ara Pacis,  Livia left a stunning legacy in the garden room frescoes which can be seen in the Palazzo Massimo museum.
 
 
Octavia
Sister of Emperor Augustus, wife of Mark Anthony and guardian of his children, Octavia is remembered in the Portico of Octavia which Augustus dedicated to her.


Felice delle Rovere
Illegitimate daughter of Cardinal delle Rovere, later to become Pope Julius II, Felice played an important role in renaissance politics by means of marriage and influential contacts. She is depicted in the Raphael Rooms of the Vatican Museums.....

......and was also said to be the model for Rachel, created by Michelangelo for the tomb of Julius II.



Anita Garibaldi
Wife of Italian Revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, Anita fought alongside her husband and is immortalised in a statue on the Janiculum Hill.