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local Tuesday 8 augusT 2023

Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

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

Aruba’s Bocas: home to the rarest fossil reefs on the planet!

(Oranjestad)—If you’ve from the Marum research
been to the northern coast faculty at the University of
of Aruba already, you’ve Bremen, Prof. dr. Alessio
probably noticed how the Rovere from the Ca' Fosc-
ground differs entirely from ari University of Venice and
the sandy beaches on the Prof. dr. Gianfranco Scic-
southern part of the island. chitano, from the University
These hard surfaces, with of Bari Aldo Moro, present-
sharp bumps and holes ed their research on these
are actually fossilized coral fossilized coral reefs at the
reefs, of which its growth University of Aruba. Their
and changes can be focus for their research in-
traced back to the last gla- cluded studying the health
cial period. and formation patterns of
these coral reefs, and to
On May 30 2023, geosci- investigate how these reefs
entists, Dr. Patrick Boyden have responded and can respond to fluctuating sea These findings can certainly This research is also im-
levels or extreme weather, put things into perspective. portant for the future of
like hurricanes and tsuna- The ground on which we coral reefs on the island.
mis. have walked many times By studying rising sea lev-
Through underwater and in the northern part of the els and climate impact on
land surveillance, and 3D island hold such rich history, these coral reefs, we are
models of the reefs, they history that dates back to able to take concrete ac-
were able to narrow down a time that most of us can- tion in protecting and pre-
when these formations not even imagine. As the serving our coral reefs. So, if
started to take place. They scientists themselves have you are ever visiting one of
were also able to track the pointed out, these fossilized the bocas or driving along
fluctuation of sea levels reefs on the windward side the northern part of the is-
during the past hundred or are truly an incredible and land, please be conscious
even thousands of years, rare remnant of geologi- to help protect our natural
and the effects that this cal history, as they provide historical remnant. Oh, and
fluctuation has had on the a clear view of how these wear (coral-friendly) sun-
coral reefs of the windward reefs have formed. screen! q
side of Aruba.