Bernard of Clairvaux preaches the Crusade at Vézelay

Name: Bernard of Clairvaux preaches the Crusade at Vézelay
Start: 1146

Type Event Region Europe Time 1146

On March 31, 1146, Cluniac reform leader Bernard of Clairvaux delivered a solemn sermon for the Second Crusade at the cathedral of Vézelay in Burgund…

Timeline

1146Basilica of Vézelay · BurgundyCommissioned by the papacy, Bernard presided over Lenten preaching at Vézelay, explaining to the assembled nobles, clergy, and people their duty to recover the Holy Land. The atmosphere was fervent, and many attendees swore to join the crusade on the spot, laying the public and religious groundwork for the French crown-led expedition.

Sources

Otto of Freising, Gesta Friderici I imperatoris — Otto of Freising
St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works — Bernard of Clairvaux (1987)