St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Spanish Monastery
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Central courtyard surrounded by the cloisters
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 Location in Miami
Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | North Miami Beach, Florida, United States |
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| Built | 1133–1141 |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000307 |
| Added to NRHP | November 9, 1972 |
The St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church is a very old Spanish monastery. It was built in the 12th century in a town called Sacramenia in Spain. But in the 20th century, it was taken apart and shipped all the way to New York City in the United States!
Later, it was put back together in North Miami Beach, Florida. Now, it's an Episcopal church and a popular place to visit. People often call it the Ancient Spanish Monastery.
Contents
A Long History: From Spain to Florida
Building the Monastery in Spain
This special monastery was built by Cistercian monks between 1133 and 1141.
- It was first called "Monastery of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels."
- Later, it was renamed to honor a saint named Bernard of Clairvaux.
The monks used the building for almost 700 years. But in the 1830s, during some difficult times in Spain, the monastery was taken over. It was then used as a place to store grain and keep animals.
The monastery was located in a mountain area in Spain, near the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. This region has many old churches, castles, and monasteries. The monastery was built strong, almost like a fortress, because there were often conflicts in the area.
King Alfonso VII of Castile and León helped start the monastery. He brought Cistercian monks from France to live there. The monastery was built in the Romanesque style, which was common for Cistercian buildings in Spain.
Over time, the monastery helped bring people together and revive trade in the area. Monks helped with farming and raising animals.
In 1641, some parts of the monastery had to be rebuilt after a fire. The monastery was an active community until 1835. Around 1836-1840, during the rule of Queen Isabella II, the monastery was closed. This meant the monks had to leave, and the main church became private property.
Moving the Monastery to America
Most of the old monastery building, including its main courtyard (called a cloister), was moved to the United States. The church part and other buildings are still in Spain. The part in Spain was declared a national monument in 1931.
In 1926, a wealthy American named William Randolph Hearst bought the monastery's cloister and other parts. He bought them even though the Spanish government had rules against it.
To move the monastery, workers carefully took it apart.
- Each stone was numbered.
- The pieces were packed into 11,000 wooden crates filled with hay.
But there was a problem! When the crates arrived in the USA, they were put in quarantine. This was because of an animal disease in Spain. The hay had to be burned to stop the disease from spreading. When the crates were repacked, some of the numbers got mixed up.
William Randolph Hearst couldn't rebuild the monastery because he had money problems. So, the dismantled buildings stayed in a warehouse in New York for many years.
In 1952, two men named Raymond Moss and William Edgemon bought the stones. They decided to put the monastery back together in northern Miami, Florida. They rebuilt it on the site of a small plant nursery. It then became a tourist attraction called the Ancient Spanish Monastery.
Rebuilding and New Additions
Raymond Moss and William Edgemon oversaw the reconstruction of the monastery in 1964. They even added some other old Spanish decorations to the building. For example, a large carved stone coat of arms was added to the cloister. This coat of arms came from another monastery in Spain.
Putting the ancient buildings back together took 19 months. It cost almost 1.5 million dollars! Some of the original stones were not used in the process.
The Monastery Today
In 1964, Bishop Henry I. Louttit bought the property for the Episcopal Church. Later, the church had some financial difficulties. So, Colonel Robert Pentland Jr. bought the monastery. He then gave it to the Episcopal church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux. Today, it is an active church and a beautiful historic site.
Gallery
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The entrance to the cloisters.
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A view inside the peaceful cloisters.
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The lovely gardens surrounding the building.
See also
In Spanish: Monasterio Español de Sacramenia (Miami) para niños
