Page 4 - AHATA

a8 local
Saturday 12 april 2025

Aruba Tourism Authority honored a loyal visitor at Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort!

The Aruba Tourism Authority re- Distinguished Visitor (10>years con- her for choosing Aruba as her fa-
cently had the great pleasure of secutively visiting Aruba) vorite vacation destination, as her
recognizing Distinguished Visitor of Goodwill Ambassador (20>years home away from home.
Aruba. The honoree was respec- consecutively visiting Aruba)
tively honored with a certificate for Emerald Ambassador (35>years The top reasons for returning to
her years of visits, loyalty, and love consecutively visiting Aruba) Aruba provided by the honoree
for the island of Aruba. was:
The honoree was: • Aruba’s people.
The honorary certification is pre- Distinguished Visitor • Aruba’s weather.
sented on behalf of the Minister Ms. Jacqueline Gallagher from • “Love my timeshare”
of Tourism as a token of apprecia- Vero Beach Florida, United States. • “Family and friends”
tion and to say “Masha Danki” to
guests who have visited Aruba 10, Mr. Jorgino Willems representing On behalf of the Aruba Tourism
20, or 35 years or more consecu- the Aruba Tourism Authority, and Authority, we would like to express
tively. staff members of Renaissance Wind our sincere gratitude and appre-
Creek Aruba Resort bestowed the ciation to the honoree for her con-
The three levels of honor are as fol- certificate upon the honoree, pre- tinued visits to the “One Happy
lows: sented her with gifts, and thanked Island”.q

Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

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