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Origin and history

The Convent of Thanks in Paris, founded in 1613 by Marie de Medici on the site of a 14th century hospice, was the most important Parisian monastery of the Order of Our Lady of Thanks. This order, created in 1218 to redeem the slave Christians of the Barbaresques, evolved into charitable and evangelical missions. The convent buildings, built in the 17th century by Charles Chamois, were partially rebuilt between 1727 and 1731 by Pierre François Godot, preserving ancient elements such as the arcades of the 1687 plan.

The convent adopts a U-shaped plan around a courtyard, closed by a gate adorned with two sundials: one visible from the street with the motto "utere dum luceat" ("profit while it is permitted"), the other, hidden, representing the angel of Death. The 18th-century interior staircase and the three-storey facades pierced by rectangular bays, highlighted by a muddy cornice, bear witness to this double construction period. The site was closed in 1790 during the Revolution, serving briefly as a prison before being sold in 1799 and transformed into a building.

The church of the convent, located at 47 Rue des Archives, was partially destroyed in 1799, its last remains disappearing in 1877. His façade, originally by Charles Chamois, had been redesigned in 1709 by Germain Boffrand at the request of the Prince of Soubise, wishing a vis-à-vis worthy of his mansion. Today, only the gate, facades, roofs, stairs and sundials have been protected as historical monuments since 1984.

The Order of Merci, founded in 1215 by Peter of Nolasque, had as its mission the redemption of the captives and evangelization. The Parisian house, the most important of the order, illustrates this dual vocation through its architecture and its turbulent history, marked by the Revolution. The buildings, restored at the end of the 20th century, now house apartments, while elements such as the 17th century carpentry in the south wing recall their conventual past.

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