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Tuesday 25 June 2024 locAl
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Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

According to Etnia Nativa, iard. In 1780, father Joseph
in the 18th century most of Antonio de la Vegal called
the inhabitants of Aruba Bernardino Silvester, one of
were indigenous who lived Antonio’s sons with his wife
on the north coast, one of Anna Cathalina Tromp,
the largest communities “neighbors and naturals of
lived in Alto Vista. the island Aruba” and thus
they became natives.
As they were very religious,
they had a chief with the At the end of the eighteen
name of Antonio Silvester century many inhabitants
who guided them in the the island died as a result of
Christian life and it was he the black fever epidemic
who decided to build a and since people believed
stone chapel with a roof that the Alto Vista area was
of corn rods, which would the most infected, they be-
serve as a place of prayer. gan to build their homes
In 1750 it was blessed by Fa- further south within the
ther Algamesi who came Noord area, so the town of
from Coro-Venezuela and Noord began to grow into
appointed Domingo Anto- a community till getting its
nio Silvester as the island’s own Church. However re- place. The entire surround- Pablo de Algemesi blessed. out from the Poz di Noord,
first prosecutor in the name ligious festivals continued ing area was empty and It is not certain, but it is be- a well dug in the sand.
of the Spanish crown and to be celebrated at this sa- desolated, making it hard lieved that the two graves
Rome. In 1752 the prosecu- cred native place, with the to imagine that Alto Vista belong to Antonio Silvester The chapel can be viewed
tion passed into the hands custom of arriving in pro- was a town at all. A hun- and Miguel Alvares, ac- from basically any point in
of Antonio Silvester’s son- cession to Alto Vista. dred years later, people cording to Nooyen. About the north side, even from
in-law, Miguel Álvarez, who can see the remains of 50 meters near the chapel Paradera and Sero Plat.
continued to guide the pa- Two-hundred years after around twenty houses, there are still the markings All the historical remains
rishioners in their prayers. the beautiful time of Alto some made of stone and of an old house, where around the chapel provide
Vista, people can no lon- others of clay. Nowadays, Antonio and Bernardino us with an idea on how the
According to the book, ger see much of the town only around six of these Silvester would have lived. old people of Alto Vista
The History of Alto Vista by of Alto Vista from 1750. With houses remain. About 200 meters from the used to live. Don’t miss the
R.H. Nooyen, it is not known a lot of work they found chapel there is a water opportunity to visit a place
when Domingo Antonio Sil- the old foundations of the South of the chapel in the tank which the locals call of historical significance
vester came to Aruba from Church of the Queen of yard two graves can be Tanki Cacique. In the past with a window to Aruba’s
Venezuela. The elders be- the Holiest Rosary to build observed, there was the this tank was closed. But past.q
lieve Antonio was a Span- a new chapel on the same cemetery which father mostly water was brought

How Aruban beaches came to be!

(Oranjestad)—We’ve talk- veloped over the span of sand starts to accumulate
ed about the best beaches thousands of years. Waves around the area. Howev-
to visit on the island before, crashing on the rocky for- er, whether the sand stays
but have you ever won- mations along our coast there is another question
dered how Aruba got its line (which consists mainly to be answered, and this is
white, sandy beaches, and of coral reefs) have start- where we highlight the big-
why there’s a clear differ- ed to wear and tear the gest difference between
ence between the northern reefs over time, resulting the northern and southern
and southern shores? Here in its gradual breakdown. coast of the island.
are some fun facts about Fish that feed off corals
the development of Aru- also contribute to this, one The sand that accumulates
ban beaches. small bite at a time. Over around a torn coral reef
the course of thousands is swept away along with stream is weaker, the sand interesting phrasing.
How did Aruba get its of years, as waves contin- the debris by the ocean tends to sick to the bot-
white, sandy beaches? ue to crash and fish con- stream. However, in areas tom faster. This is why the Aruba is a continental
Aruba’s beaches have de- tinue to eat off the corals, where it’s shallow and the beaches in the south—the island. The island actu-
areas with weaker stream ally forms part of South
and shallower ocean America, and the space
floors—has sand that between Aruba and the
stretches for miles. In con- South American continent
trast, the northern area, is simply referred to as land
where the stream is much that runs under the ocean.
stronger and the ocean This is why it gets gradu-
floor is much deeper, there ally deeper in the south,
is no sand present—they whereas the ocean floor in
were swept away with the the north runs steeply to the
current! bottom.

Why north deep, but south Source: archival document
shallow? provided by the National
Ah! Good question…and Archive of Aruba (ANA).q