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LOCAL Tuesday 16 January 2024

Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

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

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