Fede sisters fight over multi-million euro inheritance as Rome prosecutor moves to archive criminal case

A family inheritance dispute involving the estate of the late Italian journalist Emilio Fede and his wife Diana De Feo has reached the Rome prosecutor's office, which requested archiving of the criminal file. The clash pits sister against sister: Simona Fede, the elder daughter, accuses Sveva of eroding the patrimony through the handling of properties, jewellery, bank accounts, and safe‑deposit boxes after their mother's death in 2021.

The estate at stake

The inheritance includes Villa Lucia, a neoclassical residence in Naples's Floridiana park that Simona values at nearly seven million euros, a villa in Anacapri on Capri, additional properties in the Castelli Romani, jewellery, current accounts, and at least one safe‑deposit box held at Bnl in Rome's via del Tritone. Simona claims that the mother's will of 13 November 2019 gave her a right of free use (commodatum) over Villa Lucia, a right she says she was never able to exercise.

The accusations

Simona's initial complaint was filed against unknown persons. "When I went to my mother's house I thought there had been a theft," she told the ANSA news agency. "Then in recent months I realised it didn't go that way." She now targets Sveva directly, alleging misappropriation and circumvention of an incapacitated person. According to her reconstruction, the estate delineated in the 2019 will has been progressively stripped: the safe‑deposit box was opened and emptied, jewellery managed outside her oversight, and bank transactions executed shortly after the mother's death.

Anacapri and the foundation

A second flashpoint is the Anacapri villa, which was originally owned half by Diana De Feo and half by Emilio Fede. Simona says her mother's will assigned the maternal share to her, but the entire property ended up transferred to the Fondazione Emilio Fede, created on 30 July 2021, just over a month after Diana's death. Simona contests that move as a diversion of her legitimate portion.

Criminal case meets civil path

The Rome prosecutor's office investigated possible crimes of "circonvenzione d'incapace" and "appropriazione indebita" but concluded that the matter lacks criminal substance and should be resolved in civil court. Simona, through lawyers Daniele Bocciolini and Abraham Rallo, is opposing that archiving request while simultaneously preparing a civil lawsuit. "Not only opposition to the request for dismissal but the launch of a civil case so that the legitimate shares are restored as mum and dad wanted according to their wills," she explained. She has commissioned patrimonial, banking, and cadastral inquiries, as well as a graphologist to examine certain signatures.

A public rupture

The rift was visible at Emilio Fede's funeral on 4 September 2025 in Milan. Simona stayed away. "I will not be at my father's funeral because everything that happened from 2023 until today does not belong to me," she said, adding, "I wanted to talk to him to reconcile, but he kept me away." During the service, Sveva saluted her father with the words, "This is Emilio's last live broadcast."