Altos de Chavón is a tourist attraction, a re-creation of a 16th century Mediterranean–style village, located atop the

Chavón River The Chavón River is a river located to the east of the Dominican Republic. Its best view is obtained from the village called Altos de Chavón. The history of this river contains extremely interesting passages; From the origin of its name, possible ...

in the city of La Romana, Dominican Republic. It is the most popular attraction in the city and hosts a cultural center, an archeological museum, and an amphitheater. The project was conceived by the Italian architect Roberto Copa, and the industrialist

Charles Bluhdorn Charles George Bluhdorn (born Karl Georg Blühdorn; September 20, 1926 – February 19, 1983) was an Austrian-born American industrialist. Early life Bluhdorn was born in Vienna, Austria, to an Austrian Jewish mother Rosa Fuchs and father Paul B ...

History

The project began in 1976 when the construction of a nearby road and bridge crossing the

had to be blasted through a mountain of stone. Charles Bludhorn, chairman of Paramount then parent Gulf+Western, had the idea of using the stones to re-create a sixteenth-century style Mediterranean village, similar to some of the architecture found in the historic center of Santo Domingo. Construction was completed in the early 1980s. Charles Bluhdorn's daughter, Dominique Bluhdorn, is the current president of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation. Narrow, cobble-covered alleyways lined with lanterns and shuttered limestone walls yield several good Mediterranean-style restaurants, a number of quaint shops featuring the diverse craftwork of local artisans, and three galleries exhibiting the talents of local students.

Altos de Chavón School of Design

The on-site design school, Altos de Chavón School of Design (Spanish: ''Altos de Chavón La Escuela de Diseño'') was founded in 1983. It is an affiliate school of

Parsons School of Design Parsons School of Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is a private art and design college located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Founded in 1896 after a group of progressive artists broke away from established Manhatt ...

in New York City. Notable attendees of the Altos de Chavón Design School have included

Lisa Thon Lisa Thon is a fashion designer born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Biography After graduating from high school, Thon began her studying fashion at the Altos de Chavón in Dominican Republic and completed her bachelor's degree at Parsons School of D ...

, Joiri Minaya, and Mía Lourdes Taveras López.

St. Stanislaus Church

Adding authenticity to the project is the St. Stanislaus Church (''Iglesia San Estanislao de Cracovia'' in Spanish). With its plaza and sparkling fountain, it is a popular wedding venue. The St. Stanislaus Church was named after the patron saint of Poland, Stanislaus of Szczepanów in tribute to Pope John Paul II who visited Santo Domingo in 1979 and left some of the saint's ashes behind. It was in this church that

Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou Louis Alphonse de BourbonHis name is given as "Prince Louis Alphonse of Bourbon and Martínez-Bordiú, Duke of Anjou" by Olga S. Opfell in ''Royalty who Wait: The 21 Heads of Formerly Regnant Houses of Europe'' (2001), p. 11. ( es, Luis Alfonso ...

married Venezuelan heiress

Maria Margarita de Vargas y Santaella Marie Marguerite, Duchess of Anjou (''née'' María Margarita Vargas Santaella; born 21 October 1983) is a Venezuelan heiress and wife of Prince Louis, Duke of Anjou, who is considered by Legitimists to be the rightful king of France, makin ...

on November 6, 2004.

Amphitheater

A Roman-styled 5,000-seat amphitheater hosts 20th century musical acts—The Pet Shop Boys, Frank Sinatra, and Julio Iglesias to name a few—while Génesis nightclub provides a popular dance venue for guests from the

Casa de Campo The Casa de Campo (, for Spanish: ''Country House'') is the largest public park in Madrid. It is situated west of central Madrid, Spain. It gets its name 'Country House' because it was once a royal hunting estate, located just west of the Ro ...

resort nearby. The Regional Museum of Archaeology (''El Museo Arqueológico Regional'') contains a collection of pre-Columbian Indian artifacts unearthed in the surrounding area. Altos de Chavón overlooks Rio Chavón and the Dye Fore golf course of Casa de Campo; both built by former Gulf+Western chairman Charles Bluhdorn. The

Concert for the Americas The Concert for the Americas was a music festival held on August 20, 1982 in the Dominican Republic at the Altos de Chavón Amphitheater, a 5,000-seat, open-air Greek-style venue located approximately two hours east of Santo Domingo. It was the amph ...

was held here in August 1982. Performers included

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

, Buddy Rich, Heart and

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

. File:Chavón River. Casa de Campo (historical village), La Romana, Dominican Republic.jpg, Chavón River File:Amphitheater in Altos de Chavón, La Romana, Dominican Republic.jpg, Amphitheater File:Altos de Chavon 2.jpg, Altos de Chavon

References

External links