The mountain sides of Tinos are dominated by vineyards and the valleys by olive groves. It’s a quiet, tranquil but cheerful island, overrun by noisy milling crowds only twice a year. The pilgrimage in honor of the miraculous icon is held in March and August every year. It happened in 1940 that during the celebration, a Greek cruiser which was anchoring in the harbor was torpedoed by an Italian submarine. The monument and the memorial chapel in the harbor pay respect to the victims of the attack. A lot of believers in the hope of being healed, climb the hundreds of meters up to the temple built on top of the hill crawling on their knees.
There are numerous shops in the streets leading from the harbor to the temple. Gifts, oriental sweets, spicy olive oils and honey are sold here. However, the souvenirs that are sold in enormous quantities in the shops of Tinos are sacred images, devotional objects, candles and icons. Panagia Evangelista, the famous pilgrim church was built of white marble in neoclassical style in the 1830s. Delian marble remains were also used in the building. There’s a wide staircase leading to the closed yard which is framed by decorative arched buildings from three sides. The miraculous icon is said to be the work of St. Luke and it was found in the 10th century crypt chapel by a nun, Sister Pelagia who was later sainted by the church.
Newborn babies are baptized with the trickling water of the spring that is thought to have healing power. The atmosphere of the temple is intimate. Its flower garden is guarded by the statues of the former archbishop. In the small arched wing joined to the building apart from some museums, the sacristy and seminary were provided for. The art gallery and the exhibition of local artists are also very interesting. The treasury and the byzantine museum however are simply impossible to miss. We should definitely see the touching mausoleum of the Elli Cruiser. The inside of the church which is not very spacious is fully packed with luxurious chandeliers, candlesticks, icons, incense sticks and pictures.
The most scenic settlement of the island is Pyrgos. This mountain town is the center of the production of marble that is mined nearby. Thousands of strange little buildings can be seen in Tinos. The columbary, the two storey white building as big as a normal house decorated with geometrical patterns was the invention of Venetians who were indulged in breeding carrier pigeons. Looking back from the ruins of the Venetian castle named after St. Helen, we can see not only Tinos but the Aegean Sea and the enchanting Greek islands in it.