Tucked away in the hills at La Romana in the Dominican Republic is this mind-boggling model village, sculpted entirely of stone. Sitting in stark contrast to the traditional Dominican architecture, the purpose-built village of Altos de Chavon was apparently the brainchild of a Hollywood set designer and built to look like a 16th century Mediterranean village, using the stones leftover from a blasted mountain.
It’s not very well publicised and we only stumbled upon it by chance while on a shore excursion from a Caribbean cruise.
Construction began in 1976 and the village was completed in 1982. Credit must go to the efforts of a small army of regional artisans, who handcrafted the buildings using era-appropriate techniques, including woodworking and stone-cutting, to make them as authentic as possible.
The highlights of the village include a scenic historic church and a wide, stone amphitheatre that can seat around 5,000 visitors. It sounds kitsch but it isn’t, because the authentic artistry on display makes the experience of wandering around the village feel like stepping back into medieval times.
At night, the setting becomes even more magical with romantic lighting on the stone plazas and dining verandas overlooking the Chavon River 300 feet below.
There is also an art school located in the hilltop village devoted to making sure that new generations of artists and artisans will learn their craft in the area.
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