The Altos de Chavon, built with the 16th century Tuscan counties in mind in 1976. Overlooking the Chavon river below, this cultural-art complex features studios, galleries, and shops selling craftworks.
The 5,000-person half-moon amphitheater, built here, hosted world stars such as Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, Santana. Altos de Chavon today also hosts concerts by well-known figures such as Julio Iglesias and Gloria Estefan. In addition, world-famous Dominican fashion designer Oscar De La Renta has also opened a design school in Altos de Chavon.
The school, which is contracted with the Parsons School of Design, is widely accepted in the industry. The center also includes a program for young artists to live and work in Altos de Chavon for 3-month periods. Julia Alvarez, Henry Koerner, and Roberto Juarez, among the famous names of the Dominican Republic, are among the artists grown from Altos de Chavon.