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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
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