Person

Bernard of Clairvaux

1090–1153 · 12th century

Bernard of Clairvaux was a French Cistercian monk, born at Fontaine-lès-Dijon in 1090, who founded the abbey of Clairvaux in 1115 and became the most influential churchman of his age. He made the Cistercians one of Europe's largest orders, supported the Templars, helped settle the papal schism of 1130 in favour of Innocent II and preached the Second Crusade in 1146. He died in 1153 and was canonised in 1174.

Bernard of Clairvaux
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Duchy of BurgundySocioeconomy

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bernard of Clairvaux. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/bernard-of-clairvaux
MLA
“Bernard of Clairvaux.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/bernard-of-clairvaux. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Bernard of Clairvaux.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/bernard-of-clairvaux.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bernard of Clairvaux’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/bernard-of-clairvaux (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻