Bernard of Clairvaux

1090 to 1153 · Doctor 1830

Origin: Fontaines-lès-Dijon
Historical identity: Burgundian / medieval French
Affiliation: Cistercian (OCist)

Life and work

Cistercian abbot, preacher and spiritual writer whose influence reached far beyond his monastery. His sermons and letters joined contemplative theology with interventions in church disputes and public affairs.

Places and activities

Fontaines-lès-Dijon

1090-c. 1113

Grew up in a noble Burgundian family.

Benedict XVI: Bernard of Clairvaux

Cîteaux Abbey

c. 1113-1115

Entered the Cistercian community with companions.

Benedict XVI: Bernard of Clairvaux

Clairvaux Abbey

1115-1153; with frequent journeys

Founded and governed the abbey; preached and wrote spiritual theology.

Benedict XVI: Bernard of Clairvaux

Catholic Encyclopedia

Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Primary sources

Further reading

Wikipedia

Bernard of Clairvaux

Dates and research notes

Years are historical biographical dates; an approximate label on a place record remains approximate.

Selected sourced locations; not a complete itinerary. All geographic coordinates are approximate.

Lifetime associations, not citizenship or a claim that all affiliations were held simultaneously.

Primary text or author archive. Its presence in the bibliography does not by itself support every map claim.

Official modern biographical overview; not contemporary evidence for the saint's travels.

The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1907. Biographical article.

Oxford University Press, 2011. Recommended reference; consult the relevant entry and its bibliography. Not treated as read evidence for individual seed claims.

Updated 2026-11-01