The Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux was built
in Spain during the period 1133-1141. It was originally dedicated
in honor of the Blessed Mother and named the "Monastery of Our
Lady, Queen of the Angels." Upon the canonization of the famous
Cistercian Monk, Bernard of Clairvaux, the Monastery was renamed in
his honor. Cistercian monks occupied the monastery for nearly 700
years. The cloisters were seized, sold, and converted into a granary
and stable due to a social revolution in that area in the mid 1830's.
In 1925 William Randolph Hearst purchased the Cloisters and the Monastery's
outbuildings. The structures were dismantled stone by stone, bound
with protective hay, packed in some 11,000 wooden crates, numbered
for identification and shipped to the United States. About that time,
hoof and mouth disease had broken out in Segovia, and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, fearing possible contagion, quarantined the shipment
upon its arrival, broke open the crates and burned the hay. The workmen
failed to replace the stones in the same numbered boxes before moving
them to a warehouse. Soon after the shipment arrived, Hearst's financial
problems forced most of his collection to be sold at auction. The
stones remained in a warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, for 26 years.
One year after Hearts' death in 1952, they were purchased by Messrs.
W. Edgemon and R. Moss for use as a tourist attraction. It took 19
months and almost $1.5 million dollars to put the Monastery back together.
Some of the unmatched stones still remain in the back lot; others
were used in the construction of the present Church's Parish Hall.
Wedding Information
There are 7 different areas to choose from for your wedding ceremony.
All the locations are unique and beautiful. Each location has a different
ambiance and the costs vary.
There are 4 areas available for wedding receptions. They all vary
in size and cost. The smallest area can hold up to 100 people. The
rentals start at $800 when combined with a wedding ceremony.
Note: Roman Catholic weddings are not permitted at
this site by the Roman Catholic Church.
Visitor & Rental Information
16711 West Dixie Highway
North Miami Beach 33160
Phone: 305-945-1461
Web: www.spanishmonastery.org
Driving directions From I-95 to Spanish Monastery:
• Exit #12B towards FL-826 East.
• Turn Left onto NE 22nd Avenue.
• Turn Right onto West Dixie Highway. • Spanish Monastery is located
at 16711 West Dixie Highway.
