Ancient Spanish Monastery

Lonely Planet review

Miami is full of Spanish-style churches, but none with the soft cupolas and Moorish arches of the Episcopal Church of St Bernard de Clairvaux, which was actually built in 1141(!) in Segovia, Spain. In the 19th century the church was converted to a granary and eventually bought by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst.

He dismantled it and shipped it to the USA intending to reconstruct it, but construction was never approved and the church sat in boxes until a group of Miami developers purchased and reassembled it here. Now it's a popular oasis (especially for weddings, so call ahead), allegedly the oldest building in the Americas. The rare lambskin parchment books and telescopic stained-glass windows practically sweat history. Church services are held Sunday at 08:00 , 10:30 and noon, and a healing service on Wednesday at 10:00 .