Page 11 - AHATA

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LOCAL Wednesday 17 september 2025

The Aruban way of life; Creating community with Cas di Torto

(Oranjestad)—The Aruban start their own family. This is
people understand that a where the help of the com-
happy life is spent in great munity comes into play.
ambience with your loved
ones. Passed down from Neighbors, extended family
one generation to the oth- and friends would all help in
er, building community has the construction of a Torto
been a key aspect in forging House. And everyone had a
our traditions and customs. role: The men oversaw the
building of the house, and was 4 months.
The Cas di Torto (mud house) the women were tasked with
played a big role in cultivat- collecting wood and straws, At the end of a long day of
ing community, bridging cooking and taking care of work, everyone would gath-
families together and form- the little ones. er around and enjoy a feast
ing close bonds with your of hearty food. This type of
neighbors—something we wood, or from thin man- Bonaire), but the use of The couple’s family were pri- help from friends and family
highly value today. Cas di grove struts. Then, the wattle cornstalks in Aruba eventu- marily responsible for feed- became a tradition and was
Torto: History and construc- walls were weaved in using ally got replaced with use of ing everyone who helped called “paga lomba”: You
tion branches and twigs from mud and white plaster for build the house. Before con- help me today; I’ll help you
the warero and sisal plant, the roofs. The white plaster struction, someone usually tomorrow.
The origin of the Cas di daubed with a mixture of all around made the houses had the task to prepare the
Torto is said to date back grass and mud. Finally, the looks like cake, hence the meal; going fishing or slaugh- Nowadays, traditional Cas
to the early 19th century in walls got a coat of white name “Torto” (Spanish for ter farm animals like goats, di Torto are rare, especially
the Paraguana Peninsula in plaster to seal everything in. “cake”). chicken or sheep. Even the those that are still inhabited.
Venezuela. Refugees who older kids had their tasks; the Houses that do exist prob-
sought sanctuary on Aruba For roofing, corn stalks, Building community older children of the family ably date back more than
introduced this building palm fonds and straws were Building Torto houses was usually helped with collect- a century.q
method to the island. used, allowing air to flow often a community effort. ing water and mixing the
freely through the house. Young couples who were mud. Picture credits: Aruba Na-
The uprights of the walls This method of roofing was about to get married had to tional Library (BNA) and the
were made with sturdy and known throughout the ABC have their house built before The average duration of Monumentbureau archive on
straight wayaca or kwihi islands (Aruba, Curacao, they could tie the knot and constructing a Cas di Torto Coleccion.aw
Aruba to me: Joanne Lo Stuto Vilardi

ORANJESTAD — You are back and we compensation.
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