Giovanna Scopelli was a 15th-century Italian Carmelite nun from Reggio Emilia who founded her own religious community. Although she felt a religious calling from a young age, her parents initially prevented her from entering a convent. Following their deaths, she established a makeshift community that eventually grew into the convent of Santa Maria del Popolo. Known for her strict adherence to poverty, she served as the first prioress of this community, which became recognized as the White Nuns.