From her childhood she felt a strong attraction to the religious life though her parents disapproved of this vocation and forbade her to pursue it. Scopelli submitted to this and so led her austere and pious life at home until the death of her parents around 1480, when she then decided to form the Carmelite convent of Santa Maria del Popolo while in the process becoming one. Before she founded this a widow offered to collaborate with her and the former's two daughters and the four lived together in a makeshift convent – a small house – from 1480 until 1484. She later bought the church of Saint Bernard in 1485 with the aid of the Bishop Filippo Zoboli. Scopelli became the new convent's first prioress. She also refused all gifts – and urged her fellow religious to do the same thing – unless such gifts were given as alms with no conditions attached. In 1487 a priest was assigned to them as their confessor. The nuns became known as "The White Nuns".
