Old Spanish Monastery, Medieval monastery in North Miami Beach, United States.
The Old Spanish Monastery, also called St. Bernard de Clairvaux Church, is a medieval building moved from Spain and reassembled in North Miami Beach, where it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its stone walls, Gothic arches, carved ceilings, religious statues and coloured glass windows are arranged around courtyards and wings.
The monastery was originally founded in Spain during the 12th century and served monastic communities for approximately seven centuries. It was then dismantled in the 1920s and transported to Florida as a complete structure.
The monastery draws its name from the Spanish town where it originated and houses religious artworks that reflect medieval European craftsmanship. Visitors can observe how monastic life unfolded through the preserved rooms and objects that reveal daily routines and spiritual practices.
The monastery is a visitable historic building in North Miami Beach, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since November 9, 1972. Visitors enter the grounds and courtyards on foot, so allow time to walk between the wings and cloisters. Check opening arrangements before travelling, as the site operates as a church and event venue.
Industrialist William Randolph Hearst purchased the Spanish monastery in the 1920s and had it disassembled and shipped to America in roughly 11,000 crates. This made it one of the oldest European structures in the Western Hemisphere to be completely reassembled.
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