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arcade, replacing it with a projecting block composed of three distinct stories, each of which is
framed by double engaged columns (figs. 33).
Although the Society’s superior general requested that Saint-Louis-des-Jésuites be as
large as the Gesù in Rome, creating a Gallic church worthy “of the saint for whom it carried the
name, of the city of Paris, and of the most Christian king,” a smaller construction site prevented
this from becoming a reality. 16 Nonetheless, authors have consistently remarked on the
similarities between the two buildings (fig. 34). 17 While Saint-Louis-des-Jésuites certainly shares
a number of features found in the Gesù, most notably its plan, closer sources can be found in
contemporary Parisian ecclesiastical designs. By 1625 the arrangement of a single nave bordered
by side chapels, a slightly projecting transept, and a choir with a semicircular apse was the most
common plan employed for newly constructed churches in the capital, with similar examples
found at the church of the Feuillants, Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes, and the church of the Oratory. 18
The interior elevation of Saint-Louis-des-Jésuites likewise has a precedent in Parisian
architecture. Remarkably similar to the church of the Oratory, the Jesuit building has a threepart
elevation with ground floor arcades of rounded arches, arcaded tribunes, and clerestory
windows that cut deeply into the barrel vault (figs. 35 and 8). Adding to the similarity is the
articulation of the walls with the giant Corinthian pilasters supporting a prominent and
continuous entablature. Unlike the Gesù, the nave elevation at Saint-Louis-des-Jésuites lacks the
alternating rhythm that exists between the opening of the chapels and the piers. Instead the near
identical size of each chapel combined with the slender piers and tall arcades creates a space that
feels more open. 19 Indeed the effect is more analogous to Gothic plans with side aisles rather
than post-Tridentine churches such as the Gesù with its separate and nearly enclosed chapels
(fig. 34). The similarities between the plan and elevation to Parisian examples demonstrate the
Jesuit architects’ sensitivity to local traditions, a fact also noted by modern scholars. 20
The Foundation Stone
Louis XIII may have decided to support Saint-Louis-des-Jésuites because of his
allegiance to its patron saint—his namesake and the king from whom the Bourbon dynasty
descended. The gifts of land and money were an appropriate way to honor a religious foundation
engaged in building a new and grand church dedicated to the holy king of France. But another
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