Page 16 - ARUBA TODAY

A16 LOCAL
Friday 10 august 2018

‘Take your car off the beaten track to meet our

monuments and their stories’

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