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local Thursday 1 augusT 2024
Alto Vista chapel and its link to Aruba’s origins

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

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

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