A 12th Century Oasis in Miami, Floria: Ancient Spanish Monastery

In 1953, the resurrection of the Ancient Spanish Monastery , the oldest structure in the Western Hemisphere, was called the largest jigsaw puzzle in American history by Time Magazine.

Originally constructed in 12th Century Spain, the ancient Spanish monastery traveled to the United States almost 1000 years later. The story of its reconstruction in Miami, Florida is one for the books.

The Cloisters of Ancient Spanish Monastery

History of the Ancient Spanish Monastery

The Monastery’s long and chaotic history began in Spain, in the Province of Segovia in 1133. Originally named Monastery of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, it was later named in honor of St. Bernard de Clairvaux, a Cistercian monk and mystic.

After a social revolution in the 1830s, the cloisters and monastery were seized, sold, and became a granary and stables. Approximately 1000 years later, the Cloisters and the out buildings were purchased by American millionaire and publisher, William Randolph Hearst.

Every brick was packed into a numbered crate–11,000 of them– and shipped to the United States. However, when they arrived in the U.S. there was an outbreak of hoof and mouth disease in Europe. Therefore every box was opened, and inspected, and the hay which had been used to cushion the stones was burned. When the bricks were put back in their boxes, no care was given to the order in which they were replaced in the boxes. 

Meanwhile, Hearst fell on tough times. Consequently, the monastery was not reassembled in his lifetime. The entire lot of boxes sat in a warehouse until 1952.

After Hearst’s death the monastery was purchased by William Edgemon and Raymond Moss at the cost of 1.5 million dollars. Savvy entrepreneurs, they thought it would make a good tourist attraction.

It took nineteen months to put the monastery back together. Imagine putting together the contents of 11,000 boxes, that had been packed in no particular order. It’s a miracle that it was ever reconstructed at all.

I highly recommend a visit to the monastery if you are in the Miami area. Where else can you see a 12th century structure in the United States? If you love history or architecture, it’s not to be missed.  

Today the Monastery and Chapel are an active Episcopal church. Services are held in English and Spanish on Sundays. It is often used for events like weddings and photo shoots.

If you read the website, don’t miss this page which shows period photographs documenting the reconstruction.

How to visit the monastery

The monastery is closed to visitors Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The rest of the week hours are: 10:00 am – 4:30 pm. However, it’s important to check in advance as it is often used for events and as a film location. You can also hire a private guide in advance or manage a self-guided tour. 

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