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houses in Italy and Spain, these religious groups often formed close associations with the dévots,
sharing similar ideological beliefs including the fundamentally heretical nature of Protestantism
and the absolute authority of the pope. Together they worked to introduce to the populace of
Paris many of the spiritual ideas promoted at the Council of Trent. 62 The influx first began in the
early 1560s, with the Jesuits coming in 1561, followed by the Capuchins in 1575. But with the
threat of continued war and a looming crisis of royal succession, few religious orders found Paris
to be an environment conducive to establishing new houses. This changed when Henri IV
created a stable government.
In addition to efforts by dévots such as Madame Acarie, Henri IV encouraged reformed
religious orders to settle in Paris. Not only did the king support the restoration of the
Augustinians and Capuchins and the introduction of the reformed Carmelites and the friars of St.
John of God, he also allowed the return of the Jesuits, who had been expelled in 1594. 63 Henri
knew that the religious groups would most likely build monasteries once they secured funding.
The new construction would help to build up Parisian quarters, reinforcing the king’s own urban
renewal plans. By encouraging the establishment of the institutions, Henri also demonstrated the
sincerity of his conversion, which some conservative Catholics doubted following the signing of
the Edict of Nantes and the continued lack of official support for the decrees of the Council of
Trent. 64
The combined efforts of Henri IV and the dévots set the stage for the establishment of
fifty new religious foundations in the capital city between 1598 and 1640. For many of these
groups, which included religious orders and congregations, the need arose to construct
monasteries that would include suitable places for members to worship. The result was the
building of nineteen churches for religious foundations in Paris during this period. With seven
additional places of worship for other religious institutions also constructed during this time, the
first half of the seventeenth century was one of the most active times of church building in the
capital, providing numerous opportunities for royal support. 65
Both the dévots and the reformed religious orders exerted influence during the reigns of
Louis XIII and Maria de’ Medici. The fact that there were new churches for the king and queen
to support stemmed directly from the establishment of so many reformed religious orders in the
French capital. But more than providing the basis for royal patronage, the dévots and the
religious organizations provided the impetus for each monarch’s support. For Maria de’ Medici,
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