What is there to do in Miami? Well, everyone is familiar with beaches, the museums and the art deco neighborhood of South Beach. I am drawn to historic places, but I doubted if Miami had more than one or two. If you are looking for something peaceful and off the beaten path in this glitzy, bustling city then I have a recommendation for you. My friends had been telling me for a while that I needed to see the Ancient Spanish Monastery. Finally, I took their advice and realized they were right. I should have visited sooner.
The Basics
This place is part of an active congregation; therefore, the Monastery closes frequently for church activities and private events. It is important to check their website before you visit. In fact, they are always closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission for adults is $10. Admission for children, students and senior citizens is only $5. The monastery is a Blue Star Museum, as well. This means that military personnel are admitted for free.
The monastery is about 28 miles from the Aloft Doral where I usually stay. How long that will take you to drive fluctuates wildly in Miami’s big city traffic. Since my field trip was in the mid-morning on a weekday, it took about 30-40 minutes.
This isn’t the complete monastery, but rather, the cloisters. Cloisters are covered walkways that encircle a private courtyard/garden area.
Historic Places & Familiar Sites
In 2015, my husband and I visited Trier, Germany. Our guidebook suggested a walking tour route that we followed over the course of two mornings. It was terrific and gave us a great overview of the history of tiny, ancient Trier. One stop on our self-guided walk was the Trier Cathedral of St. Peter. When we stumbled on the cloisters in the back, we were simply awestruck.
Serene and meditative, it is easy to see how monks or nuns could find solace and time for peaceful contemplation in such a place. Weave up and down narrow paths hidden behind ancient stone walls and whatever city you’re in will fall away. Sometimes you’ll find small monuments, herb gardens, nooks for a quiet moment or outdoor chapels. While the monastery in Miami is smaller and less elaborate than the Cathedral of St. Peter in Trier, it is worth a visit, nonetheless.
Historic Places & Fascinating Stories
Historic places have stories to tell and often they beg us to listen. Located down a quiet side street in North Miami, the Ancient Spanish Monastery has quite a story. Built in the 1100’s in Segovia, Spain this monastery is the real thing. It was occupied by monks for hundreds of years. However, social revolutions and political upheavals being what they are, the Cloisters were seized and sold in the 1830’s. In a crazy plot twist that could only be orchestrated by one of the most famous billionaires of the Roaring 20’s, William Randolph Hearst bought the structure in 1925 and ordered it to be dismantled and shipped to America.
The Cloisters were packed into 11,000 numbered crates and shipped brick by brick to America. The bricks were packed in hay to protect them from breakage. However, hoof and mouth disease broke out in Spain and when the crates arrived in America, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (in an effort to contain the illness) broke open the crates and burned the hay. When the crates were re-packed, they were not placed correctly into their numbered containers.
Shortly thereafter, Hearst had financial problems that caused him to sell much of his collection. The bricks sat in a warehouse for 25 years until 1952. A year after Hearst’s death, William Edgemon and Raymond Moss bought the 11,000 crates to use as a tourist attraction. At the time, Time Magazine called it “the world’s biggest jigsaw puzzle.” Ultimately, it took 19 months to put the buildings back together.
In 1964, a wealthy philanthropist bought the Cloisters, and they became a part of the Episcopalian Diocese. Today, the congregation is known as the Church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux.
Historic Statistics
- Number of men it took to open the crates: 23
- Number of days it took the men to open the crates: 90
- Tons of nails that were sold as scrap metal after the crates were opened: 7
- Number of acres for the current property: 20
- Number of species of flora/plants/trees on current property: 1,000
Historic Places Provide an Education
The staff are quite clear with visitors that funds raised through admission fees and gift shop purchases “generate funds for the preservation and maintenance of the historic building and gardens.” For what it’s worth, the gift shop had some stunning jewelry in stock the day I visited. This included rosary bracelets and tiaras for quinceaneras. It was all very inexpensive.
Upon entering the church building and paying for your admission, visitors watch a short video that showcases the structure’s unique history. The room also houses a small but fascinating museum of religious artifacts, mostly from the 1600’s. My favorite pieces were an illuminated hymnal, a suit of armor, a chalice and a caisson (horse-drawn carriage for conveying a coffin). These exhibits give a brief but very helpful overview to the era. This education gives visitors the proper frame of reference before they cross the gardens and enter the cloisters.
A Final Note
I learned quite a lot during my morning at the monastery in Miami. Medieval and Renaissance worship and daily life are fascinating, and I suppose it goes without saying that the architecture of the cloisters is stunning. As I paused in the smallest outdoor chapel, the tropical morning sun streamed through the two small stained-glass windows and in my head, I could hear the monks rhythmically chanting. You don’t have to be Christian to see why these ancient spaces became a tradition.
Finally, I also learned that I should have listened to my friends sooner. When they recommended that I brave the Miami traffic to see this place, they were right. I nearly missed out on a chance to make a lovely connection between my German travels in 2015 and my tropical travels in 2022. I love it when travel comes full circle.
August 21, 2022 at 1:40 pm
This does remind me of The Cathedral of St. Peter’s in Trier on a smaller scale. I seem to remember it being as warm as it likely was in Miami. Overall, this looks like a lovely place to spend an hour or so.
August 21, 2022 at 1:54 pm
Cloisters (whether overseas or in America) are definitely a peaceful way to pass an hour. If you, like me, are over the crowds of Miami, this is the perfect antidote.