Cloisters of the Monastery of Saint Bernard de Clairvaux

We think of our sacred space as a gift—something bequeathed to us by our forebears but a gift we know we are called to share with others. Our members and visitors come from the whole Miami-Dade metropolitan area, from other parts of the country, and as tourists and pilgrims from around the world. We practice what St. Benedict taught his monks: “All who present themselves are to be welcomed.”       - Rule of Benedict 53:1 The Ancient Spanish Monastery closes for special events, filming, and catalogue shoots. Please call ahead to confirm the Monastery will be open on the day and time you  wish to visit. Normal visiting hours are Monday thru Saturday from 10 am until 4:30 pm and Sundays from 11 am until 4:30 pm. Join us for Mass. Construction of the Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux was begun in the year 1133 AD in Sacramenia, near Segovia in northern Spain. Completed eight years later in 1141, the Monastery was dedicated to the Blessed Mother and was originally named ‘The Monastery of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels.’ Upon the canonization of Bernard of Clairvaux in 1174, the Monastery was renamed in his honor. A Cistercian monk and mystic, the founder and abbot of the Abbey of Clairvaux, Bernard was one of the most influential church leaders of his time. Cistercian monks occupied the Monastery for nearly 700 years. After a social revolution in the 1830's, the Monastery’s Cloisters were seized, sold, and converted into a granary and stable.