Tinos island (Greece, Cyclades)

Tinos island is the fourth largest in the Cyclades, with picturesque villages such as  Berdeimaros, Two Villages, Arnados, one of the most traditional settlements, unique views of the endless blue.

Its enchanting landscape, gray chapels characterize Tinos island, old windmills,  indicative bridges, pigeon houses (Dovecots),   hosting the region’s older economic activity, and grain trade.   Tinos belongs to the northern Cyclades group of Green islands (Aegean sea).

The economy is mainly based on tourism, which during the summer months is at a high level and throughout the year due to the Pan-Hellenic pilgrimage of the image of the Evangelistria.
The Tinian regard the Virgin Mary as their protector. It celebrates the many chapels and churches of the villages, and at each feast, a rich bank with food and plenty of wine is built for all the pilgrims flocking from the surrounding villages and the city of Tinos.

 

Triantaros  (A picturesque Village in Tinos island)

Triantaros Village

Exomvourgo  (Village in Tinos island)

The municipality had its name on the steep rocky hill of Exomvourgo, Xomburgos, which dominates the center of the municipality. It is called Exomborough, Xomburgogo, from the Venetian word Sobborgo which means neighborhood. On this hill was built the ancient city of Tinos, but also the medieval Venetian city.
A considerable percentage of the inhabitants of the municipality of Exomvourgo are Catholics. As a result, they are the second municipality in a percentage of Greek Catholics after the municipality of Ano Syros.

Therefore, do not forget to visit the village of Xompourgos, the Catholic Archdiocese and the seat of the Municipality of Exombourgo, and to the Catholic monastery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 

Isternia  (Village in Tinos island)

Isternia is a bustling village where the visitor will admire the houses’ architecture, walk in the marble-lined streets, and visit the village’s museum.        An imposed stance is in the village of Loutra with the historic monasteries of the Ursuline and Jesuit monks.  Another is Kardiani, a green landscape, and Panormos is a seaside village.

 

Pyrgos   (Village in Tinos island)

Pyrgos is the largest village of Tinos and known since it was the birthplace of many well-known artists. The village is remarkable due to the traditional houses, the churches, the museums, the picturesque marble-lined slopes, and, finally, the beautiful square where the visitor will sit down to taste the traditional galaktoboureko.

 

 Volax  (Village in Tinos island)

Volax – an impressive village with vast scattered round rocks  (* space rocks?).

 

The visitor may have the chance to visit a local shop and see how handmade baskets are made.

 

Pigeon Houses  or Dovecotes  (Tinos island)

A typical building of the rural countryside is a dovecote. Two-storied stone-built, geometrically decorated with small shale plates, built-in places suitable for pigeons to have a good kick. The dovecotes evolved from a simple home for doves into a work of art. They constructed the openings for the pigeons – always facing the East and the West and never to the north – that was adorned with the slate, forming unique ornaments in square shapes, triangles, circles, diamonds, but also suns, cypresses. At the same time, they were able to knit them together, forming the owners’ name or the date of their erection.

Each pigeon is different from the other, and this trait makes them unique in our country. Myrsini and Potamia are two beautiful and very green villages with scattered pigeons.

 

 

MUSEUMS OF TINOS

Tinos has a great Art tradition with many artists and artifacts, which are seen all over the island, mostly embedded in the building’s architecture and even in the facade of common houses. Our editor suggests a museum trip to the island of Pyrgos, where there are two of the most distinguished museums.

 

MUSEUM OF “TINIAN” ARTISTS

The museum was founded in 1976 by the Panormos Historical Community with the help of the Panormitis Association. Today it is a Municipal Museum and operates under the responsibility of the Panormos Cultural Center. Here are exhibits of sculptures and reliefs of great artists. Among the marble creations, the visitor can admire workstations of Modern Greek sculpture such as the “Mower” and the “Fisherman” by Dimitrios Filippotis.

 

 

MUSEUM OF “YANNOULIS CHALEPAS”

 

Relaxing 1931 A young woman lying on the side, a project by Yannoulis Chalepas

 

 

 

Museum Costas Tsoclis

The Museum is located in the village of Kampos in Tinos. The works of the great painter Costas Tsoklis are exhibited in the museum’s halls. The visitor is impressed by the large metalwork located outside the museum and showing St. George. A work that connects the classic uniquely with the modern, representative of the artist’s art.

Gastronomy

Do not forget to stop in the village Pyrgos and sit in the picturesque square and enjoy the traditional galaktoboureko.