The Abbey of Chiaravalle has a peculiar history, because its founder,  St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153),  is historically known for  editing "the rules" of the Templar Knights, officially recognized in 1128 by Pope Onofrio II .
 
Bernardo appears even in “The Divine Comedy” ( Canto XXXI,  Paradise). Dante  guided by Beatrice to the Empyrean. There , Dante contemplates the “Mystic Rose of blessed and of angels”.

As he turns himself to ask Beatrice a question, he finds that she disappears, finding Bernardo at her place instead. The saint invites dante to look over the top of the rose, where he can find the brightest peak.
The temple has three naves ,and at the two sides of the main altar there are two transverse arms forming a cross. The most ancient part of the abbey is the dome that dominates the bell tower.  

The whole place has astonishing symbols everywhere. From a side of the altar there is a small statue representing Gesus Christ that wears a noose around his neck (symbol of rebirth after initiation).
Another symbol is the knotted columns  that represent Unity. These particular columns are present in all Cistercian abbeys.  It is thought that  Cistercians perhaps were builders and hosted the               “Conversi”, laymen of various professions and  skills. Builders often lived inside of the abbeys during their construction. This is the reason that i sto be found behind the figures of the “Masters of Como”. They were the responsibles for the knotted columns all over Europe.

The abbey’s crest represents a storks holding a pastoral with a white ribbon in its beak. The last chapel on the left transept,  is the church of Santa Maria Maddalena, who has very long hair; there are scenes on the walls representing her landing in Marseille carrying her Apostleship; on the four large side panels of the walls, there are many Saints with “the 'goblet'” in their hands.
The cloister of Cistercian abbeys represents a detachment from material thoughts and meditation on spiritual matters. It has a square shape in most abbeys and it is the reference point at all monastic complexes. The sides of it have peculiar importance, for the symbolize self contempt (eastern side), the contempt of the world (South side); love of man (West side), and  love of God (North side).
Today we can see only a group of four original knotted columns placed in the western side of the cloister. The others were replaced by pillars in later periods. The columns are in good conditions and  we can observe its sculptural masterpiece. The column seems to be malleable.
The Abbey was supposed to represent a New spiritual and real city. It had to represent the expression of  Heavenly Jerusalem. Each side of the monastic complex was built according to a system of equivalence and  multiplication of parts, giving a strong, simboli and  numeric value.

A spot light should be also put on the abbey’s cemetery. Guglielma the Bohemian is buried here. She was a healer in the twelfth century, and around her it grew a real religious movement. The Inquisition condemned her at the stake for heresy together with several followers of this cult. Then, they even exhumed the body of Guglielma and burnt it to the bones.