Altos de Chavón

Infobox Venue
name = Altos de Chavón Ampitheater


image_caption = Altos de Chavón Amphitheater
nickname =
location = La Romana, flag|Dominican Republic
coordinates = coord|18|25|13|N|68|53|23|W
type = ampitheater
genre =
built =
opened = August, 1982
renovated =
expanded =
closed =
demolished =
owner = Central Romana Corporation, Ltd.
construction_cost=
former_names =
seating_type =
seating_capacity = 5,000
website = [http://www.kandela.com.do/altos.htm Altos de Chavón Amphitheater]

The biggest attraction in La Romana, Dominican Republic, is Altos de Chavón: a recreation of a medieval European village conceived from the imagination of Roberto Copa, a former Paramount Studios set designer, and Charles Bluhdorn.

Its construction began in 1976 when the construction of a nearby road and bridge crossing the Chavón river had to be blasted through a mountain of stone. Charles Bludhorn, chairman of Gulf+Western, had the idea of using the stones to build a sixteenth century Mediterranean village. Construction was completed in the early 1980s.

It was built as an 18th birthday gift to his daughter, Dominique, who is the current president of the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center. 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 students from the on-site design school (an affiliate of Parsons School of Design in New York City). Notable attendees of the Altos de Chavón Design School have included Lisa Thon and Mía Lourdes Taveras López.

Adding authenticity to the entire fantasy is the charming St. Stanislaus Church ("Iglesia San Estanislao de Cracovia" in Spanish) with its plaza and sparkling fountain that is a popular wedding venue. The Church of St Stanislaus was named after the patron saint of Poland 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 married Venezuelan heiress Maria Margarita de Vargas y Santaella on November 6, 2004.

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 resort nearby. Visitors shouldn’t miss the Regional Museum of Archaeology ("El Museo Arqueológico Regional"), an astonishing 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, who also reigned over Paramount Studios when Apocalypse Now was filmed on the river.

Notable events held at the Altos de Chavón Amphitheater

* August, 1982: Concert for the Americas, innaugural concert, performers included Frank Sinatra with Buddy Rich, Heart and Santana
* 1992: Toque Profundo performed at the "Rock Sobre Las Piedras"
* December 14, 2002: Luis Miguel performs the final show of his Mis Romances Tour
* September 2004: Alicia Keys films part of her video for Karma
* October 30, 2004: The Pet Shop Boys
* March 25, 2006: Aventura records a sold out show which becomes one of the DVDs shipped with K.O.B. Live
* April 26, 2006: Juan Luis Guerra was invited to sing Fragile with Sting on the Broken Music tour
* March 31, 2007: Julio Iglesias
* July 14, 2007: Erasure performs a concert on their Light at the End of the World Live tour

External links

* [http://www.altosdechavon.com/ The Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation]
* [http://myplay.com/video-player/alicia-keys?bcpid=18617673&bclid=18584612&bctid=13406447 Karma video by Alicia Keys]
* [http://www.kandela.com.do/english.htm Kandela - a show at the Altos de Chavón amphitheater]