September 18, 2015

1904 NETHERLANDS (Aruba) - Alto Vista Chapel

Aruba
1904 Alto Vista Chapel

Alto Vista Chapel is a small Catholic chapel also known as "Pilgrims Church" that stands on the hills above the north shore of the sea and to the northeast of the town of Noord, 8km from the California Lighthouse. The church painted on the outside in stark bright yellow colour makes it a conspicuous religious monument for people to visit. The present Chapel of Alto Vista was completed in 1952 and stands in the same location as the original chapel, that was built by Domingo Silvestre, the Venezuelan missionary from Santa Ana de Coro, Venezuela, in 1750.

The Alto Vista Chapel was stated to be the location where conversion of Aruban Indians to Christianity started. It was deserted from 1816 and went into ruins and the old wooden cross went under possession of many priests. The new chapel was redesigned and built in 1952 by the Dutch engineer J.A. Hille. The chapel is encircled by semicircular pews. There are also stone pews on the outside in order to accommodate additional worshipers. At the border of the old chapel marked by stones, a few graves are also seen. 

About the stamps
The stamp is part of a definitive series issued in 2009 and depicting Alto Vista Chapel, about which I wrote here.

Sender: Denise
Sent from Oranjestad (Aruba), on 04.07.2014
Photo: Luis Minoz / 2005 

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