Saint · High medieval
Bernard of Clairvaux
Cistercian abbot, preacher of the Second Crusade and Doctor of the Church
- Period
- c. 1090–1153
- Feast day
- 20 August
- Associated region
- Cîteaux, Clairvaux and Troyes (France); Vézelay (France); preaching in Germany
Overview
Cistercian abbot of Clairvaux whose preaching helped launch the Second Crusade and whose writings on love of God and the Song of Songs were widely read.
Key timeline
4 events
- c. 1090Approximate
Birth at Fontaine-lès-Dijon
- 1113
Enters Cîteaux
- 25 June 1115
Founds Clairvaux
Names the house Clairvaux on this date.
- 1128 or 1129Approximate
Council of Troyes
Outlines the Templar rule. Sources give 1128 and 1129.
Life
Bernard was born around 1090 at Fontaine-lès-Dijon in Burgundy. He entered the Cistercian house of Cîteaux in 1113 and in 1115 was sent to found Clairvaux, which he named on 25 June that year. William of Champeaux made him abbot there; the checked article gives no year.
The Council of Troyes is dated 1128 in the article’s text and 1129 in its link. At the council Bernard outlined the rule for the Knights Templar. The checked article calls him a co-founder of the order; the Atlas’s order record calls him an early and influential supporter, not a founder. That disagreement is recorded, not settled.
In 1144 Pope Eugene III commissioned him to preach the Second Crusade. He preached at Vézelay with King Louis VII present, and in Germany, where King Conrad III and Frederick Barbarossa took the cross. He died at Clairvaux on 20 August 1153, aged about 63.
Principal written sources
- Authentic, dated: De gradibus humilitatis et superbiae (The Steps of Humility and Pride), c. 1120; Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae (In Praise of the New Knighthood), 1129; De consideratione (On Consideration), c. 1150, addressed to Pope Eugene III.
- Authentic, undated: De diligendo Deo (On Loving God); Sermones super Cantica Canticorum (Sermons on the Song of Songs), begun after his return to Clairvaux and before 1137, left at 86 sermons when he died and continued by Gilbert of Hoyland.
- Attributed but not authentic: the Memorare and the hymn Jesu dulcis memoria are listed among falsely attributed works; the Meditatio is probably from the 13th century.
Full timeline
- c. 1090Approximate
Birth at Fontaine-lès-Dijon
- 1113
Enters Cîteaux
- 25 June 1115
Founds Clairvaux
Names the house Clairvaux on this date.
- 1128 or 1129Approximate
Council of Troyes
Outlines the Templar rule. Sources give 1128 and 1129.
- 1129
In Praise of the New Knighthood
Written in defence of the Templars.
- 1144
Commissioned to preach the Second Crusade
By Pope Eugene III.
- 20 August 1153
Death at Clairvaux
- 18 January 1174Church-recognised
Canonised
By Pope Alexander III.
- 1830Church-recognised
Declared a Doctor of the Church
By Pope Pius VIII.
Tradition
Canonised on 18 January 1174 by Pope Alexander III, 21 years after his death, according to the checked article. Pope Pius VIII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1830.
The feast day is 20 August.
- Feast day
- 20 August — Feast day; anniversary of his death
- Venerated in (starting dataset)
- Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran. Recognised as a Doctor of the Church by the Catholic Church. The workbook also lists Anglican and Lutheran veneration; the checked article does not confirm either, so they are not yet verified.
- Patronage and roles (starting dataset)
- Beekeepers, Cistercians
- Places
- Fontaine-lès-Dijon · Cîteaux · Clairvaux · Troyes · Vézelay · Germany
Legends
These stories are part of how Bernard of Clairvaux has been remembered, but they are not established biography. Each is labelled with when it first appears in writing.
Reported miracles in GermanyReported; sources not identified
The checked article says that reported miracles helped his mission in Germany during the Second Crusade, but it gives no account, date or source for them.
In the starting dataset
The source workbook lists these under “Confirmed Miracle / Key Event”. The Atlas does not treat them as confirmed: each is labelled by the kind of evidence behind it.
UnverifiedCure of a nobleman’s paralysis during crusade preaching
“Curing nobleman's paralysis through prayer during Crusade preaching”
The checked article mentions reported miracles from his mission in Germany, without detail or source. The specific cure is not identified there and is not treated as established.
UnverifiedVision of the Virgin Mary giving him wisdom
“Vision receiving spiritual wisdom directly from Virgin Mary”
Not in the checked article. Recorded as the workbook’s claim only.
Sources
About the image · Editorial design
Decorative initial B, drawn for the Atlas. It is not a likeness of Bernard.
Editorial status
Reference entry, drafted with particular care. Key dates were spot-checked during this build against the sources marked “checked” below; other references are listed for later verification.
References
Reference work✓ Checked in build session
Bernard of Clairvaux (opens in a new tab)
Opened in this session. Checked: birth and death, the entry to Cîteaux (1113), the founding of Clairvaux (25 June 1115), the Troyes council (1128 in the text, 1129 in the link), the writings and dates, the 1144 commission, the canonisation (18 January 1174) and the 1830 Doctor. The article’s co-founder wording is recorded as a disagreement with the order record. Miracle accounts: only the general mention.
Workbook linkNot yet checked
britannica.com (opens in a new tab)
Link supplied in the source workbook (“Top 100 Saints”, row 72). It has not been checked to confirm that it supports every claim in that row.
Original workbook record
Imported unchanged from “Top 100 Saints”, row 72. Values here are the starting dataset, not verified facts; where the Atlas differs, the reason is noted below.
- #
- 64
- Saint / Title
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
- Primary Traditions Veneration
- Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran
- Feast Day(s)
- Aug 20
- Era / Lived
- 1090 – 1153 AD
- Origin / Region
- Fontaines-lès-Dijon, France
- Patronage & Major Roles
- Beekeepers, Cistercians
- Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 1
- Curing nobleman's paralysis through prayer during Crusade preaching
- Confirmed Miracle / Key Event 2
- Vision receiving spiritual wisdom directly from Virgin Mary
- Key Contribution / Historical Significance
- Cistercian abbot who expanded order, reformed monastics, and drafted Templar Rule.
- Reference Link
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Bernard-de-Clairvaux
Editorial notes on this record
- Key Contribution / Historical Significance: “Drafted Templar Rule”: the checked article calls him a co-founder, while the Atlas order record calls him an advocate. Unresolved.
- Patronage & Major Roles: “Beekeepers”: patronage not confirmed in the checked article, which did not address it. Not carried as verified.