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LOCAL Monday 30 october 2023

Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

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

Aruba to me

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