Page 10 - aruba-today-20201104

Wednesday 4 november 2020 LOCAL
A10

‘Take your car off the beaten track to

meet our monuments and their stories’

monuments have multiple
owners due to the fact that
inheritances are split and
all need to decide upon
the selling.” They cooper-
ate with the government
office of monuments be-
cause they set the rules of
what you can and cannot
do to a protected monu-
ment. “We also have the
task to maintain the build-
ings which is an ongoing
ORANJESTAD - The mix of They are celebrating 20 process. The wind, the salt
cultures in Aruba is very years of Unesco heritage in the air and the sun that
visible in its architecture as this year. Than scattered not only burns human bod-
-like in all cultures-, monu- around the rest of the is- ies but also buildings are
ments reflect your history land you will see the small- huge challenges. Next to
and your people. If you er country houses.” Aruba that we do education, cre-
take the chance to leave and Bonaire were called ate awareness and main-
the beach for a little while the useless islands in the tain public relations about
and take your car off the colonial time, so any Indian our monuments.”
beaten track you will be willing to live here was giv- The office of the Monu-
surprised what you see. en a small piece of land to mentfund is actually lo-
Anne Witsenburg is direc- build his home. “That is the cated in a monument itself.
tor of the Monumentsfund reason you find all these The building is beautiful
Aruba and points out pre- typical small houses scat- and has a tropical style.
cisely why a monumental tered around the island. “This house goes back to
trip should not lack in your We actually have the same the 1920’s when it was
vacation’s itinerary. amount of monuments built as a vacation house
as Curacao though way by Aruban entrepreneur
The fund owns 12 monu- smaller.” Croes. He and his family
ments, out of the 36 pro- came here to the outdoors
tected monuments in the Magic local touch as in those times there was dinners that were cooked in
island. “But there are over Some of the monuments only cunucu (countryside) the places we try to restore.
300 more monuments on owned by the Monument- here. They had big parties That keeps it alive. Most of
the list to be protected fund Aruba are the light and enjoyed leisure time our monuments are meant
and of course we dream house, town hall, water with family and friends.” to be lived in so we would
to see that become real- tanks in both Oranjestad Richer Arubans at that like to reintroduce the joy
ity as soon as possible.” and San Nicolas. “We are time looked outwards for of living in a monument. We
The international guidelines wealthy in different styled architecture inspiration as work together with private
that apply for monuments monuments and my sug- that was considered chic, companies to look into
decide whether it will be gestion is to discover this Witsenburg explains. Either that.” In their office they
a protected monument or world outside of the tourist to the US (art deco style installed solar panels, use
not. “The building or ob- zone. The book Monumen- like the water tower in San LED lightning and recently
ject needs to be at least 50 tal Guide comes in handy Nicolas), Holland (Dutch implemented an electrical
years old, a special value as there are three maps in- colonial style) or Colom- charging point for electric
in architecture or to history side that guide you to the bia/Venezuela. “This house vehicles. tion, guiding and help. For
or to the people of Aruba monuments and tell you is inspired by a villa around more information check
is required and there has to about them. But there are Cartagena, Colombia. The The Monumentfund Aruba their Facebook page stich-
be a certain uniqueness. If also possibilities to have ideas mostly came from is open every day from ting monumenten fonds
it was changed too much your personal people the wives”, she says laugh- Monday to Friday from 8 to aruba and the website
throughout time or there guide. And the best is that ing. 5. You are more than wel- http://www.monumenten-
are already any of the I can almost guarantee come to ask for informa- fondsaruba.com.q
same kind it is a no go.” you the magic of the lo- Sustainable driven
cal touch when you bump Sustainability is a big thing
Useless islands into an authentic cunucu to the Monumentfund Aru-
There is a difference be- house (country house) and ba. Witsenburg: “Obviously
tween the islands when it talk to the owners. They will to restore old buildings and
comes to monuments, as proudly share their family not destroy them to build
Witsenburg explains. “That history with you.” new ones is already sustain-
goes back to their history. able in itself. Than we have
Curacao used to be a very Outside inspiration the technical sustainability
wealthy island where many The Monumentfund ac- as in using the right materi-
-mainly Dutch- merchants quires or buys monuments als and techniques but also
lived close together and and restores them back the social sustainability.
that is the reason you find into their former glory. That includes looking at the
this typical colonial Dutch Than they rent it out. “That non-tangible part of heri-
style buildings packed in sounds easy, but it is in- tage: the stories to be told,
certain areas nowadays. credibly complex as most the music to be played, the