Page 12 - HOH

Saturday 26 april 2025 locAl
A10

Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

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