Church of St. Anne (Aruba)

Initially, the only religious building on the island of Aruba was the Alto Vista Chapel . In view of the plague epidemic that hit the settlement, by 1816 the majority of the inhabitants fled to the northern part of the island, Noord . After that, there was a need for a construction for religious ceremonies. It was decided to build a church and choose its patron saint - St. Anne . The altar was made of oak, which ships delivered from Holland in 1776 ^[1] . Francisca henriques lacle ^{[ specify ]} , Aruba resident and director of a girls' school, has launched a fundraising campaign to rebuild the destroyed Alto Vista chapel and interior for St. Anne's Church. Local residents took an active part in this event. By 1950, about 5,000 florins were collected, after which Francisca Henriques Lacle left for the Netherlands, where, under her leadership, a full-length statue of the Virgin Mary was commissioned. A year later, the statue was delivered to the island of Aruba and placed in the church of St. Anne. In 1954, the statue of the Virgin Mary was decorated with a golden crown and 78 precious stones, which were made with donations from the inhabitants of the island. In 1997, the statue was destroyed by a woman’s attack. Also, in the church of St. Anne, a 200-year-old altar cross is stored, which was previously placed on the altar of the Alto Vista chapel ^[2] .

During the devastating hurricane that struck the island of Aruba on August 25, 2011, St. Anne's Church was damaged. Due to significant damage, all religious ceremonies were canceled, and the building itself was under reconstruction for a long time ^[3] .

The church was built in the Dutch architectural style. It features massive ceilings, the interior decoration is made of oak, which was made in the Netherlands and delivered to the island by ship ^[4] .

• Profile of St. Anne's Church;
• Photos of Church Destruction after a Hurricane