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The queen would have also welcomed the addition of a monastery to the faubourg Saint-
Germain. In September 1611, three months after the Discalced Carmelites settled at their house
on the rue de Vaugirard, Maria de’ Medici purchased an hôtel from François de Luxembourg and
began work on the future Luxembourg Palace. The queen’s new residence, located just to the
east and on the same street as the religious community, would be enhanced by the presence of
the new monastery with its distinguished patrons and royal ties.
The queen’s only formal assistance to the church occurred on 20 July 1613, at which time
she placed the building’s ceremonial first stone. 32 Located in a large pillar to the right of the
high altar, the marble stone carried an inscription in Latin stating: “Maria de’ Medici, Queen
Mother, placed the foundation stone of this church in 1613.” 33 Although the inscription like the
one for the church of the Minims reiterates Maria’s role as queen and mother, helping to justify
her current position of power, its brevity suggests that the queen wanted to avoid drawing
attention to the ceremony.
Considering the queen’s contributions to Saint-Joseph-des-Carmes and the fathers’
willingness to allow personal coats of arms by illustrious patrons, I propose the lack of royal
imagery stemmed from a desire by Maria de’ Medici to limit the elaborate honors that her
support might have provided. This discretion resulted from the second goal of the regency: the
promotion of the Catholic faith. Maria de’ Medici was undoubtedly a fervent Catholic, a trait
she acquired through her Italian culture and family tradition. 34 Indeed upon arriving at the
French court, she worked to secure the triumph of the true faith, pushing for the return of the
Jesuits, earning the support of the conservative Catholics, and encouraging the acceptance of the
decrees of the Council of Trent. 35 While the first two points were achieved prior to the regency,
the latter remained an unresolved issue for the queen.
Since the last session of Trent, French leaders had been hesitant to ratify the council’s
proposed reforms. This included Henri IV, who had agreed to accept the decrees as part of his
absolution by Pope Clement VIII but neglected to fulfill his promise. The caution stemmed from
fears that the reforms would infringe on Gallican liberties. 36 Accepting the decrees meant that
legal issues traditionally adjudicated by French courts would have been controlled by Catholic
clerics while the pope’s newly acquired power as bishop of the universal Church would have
encumbered the French king’s right to autonomous rule of the Church and state.
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