Baroque religiosity supported monastic life as the Christian ideal. The 5th Marquis, in order to give more prestige to his possessions, founded two convents in Denia:
-The Convent of San Antonio de Padua for Franciscan friars, in 1588. The friars lived on alms. They also managed a school and had a great influence on the population. -The Convent of the Augustinian Nuns, in 1604. The convent was founded by King Philip III, during a visit to Denia. In the 17th century, a strict enclosure was imposed on women who, not being married, found in the convents an honourable refuge. In Dénia, 71 women became nuns. The Council of Trent decreed the eternal curse for those who violated the enclosure.
The convent of the Augustinian Nuns still exists today in Loreto Street.
