GEOGRAPHY Tinos, the Holy island of the Virgin, lies between Andros (700 m.), Mykonos (8 nautical miles) and northeast of Syros (13 nautical miles). It is the fourth largest of the Cyclades, after Naxos, Andros and Paros, covering an area of 194 sq. km., with 106 km. of coast and 85 nautical miles from Piraeus. Its population is 7,730. There are daily car and passenger ferries from Piraeus and Rafina (62 nautical miles), as well as links with Andros, Mykonos, Paros, los and Santorini. The island's capital and harbor, Tenos, is a convenient centre for visiting the other villages on the island, large and small. Tenos is essentially mountainous (highest peak Tsikinas, 713 m. a.s.l.) with a few small, fertile valleys. Its coast, mainly steep in the east, follows the configuration of the land, forming small bays, the largest and most sheltered of which is the gulf of Panormos on its northeast side. Tenos has its own, distinctive Cycladic charm: lush, verdant vegetation, small villages with snow-white houses, ornate dovecotes and numerous tiny chapels. There is limited touristic development and Tenos is just right for quiet holidays.

HISTORY In antiquity the island was called Ophiousa. We have very little information about Tenos in prehistoric times though excavations (Vryokastro) have shown that it was inhabited in the Bronze Age, during the period of the Cycladic civilization. Throughout antiquity, as indeed today, it was famed for its marble and there is a tradition of stone-carving. In the 8th and 7th century BC it was under the domination of Eretria. During the Persian Wars it was captured by the Medes, liberated after the battle of Marathon and took part in the naval battle of Salamis. It achieved its zenith in the 3rd century BC, while in the 2nd it was a naval station of the Rhodians. Tenos was taken by the Romans in 88 BC and decimated by Mithridates. During the Byzantine period it faded into obscurity and with the Fall of Constantinople to the Franks it, like the rest of the Cyclades, came under the control of Venice, which ceded it to the Ghisi family. The Venetians built a fortress on the pinnacle of a steep cliff on its south coast. Within its walls the Venetian nobles resided, while outside, at Exoburgo, the peasants dwelt. During the Venetian occupation many of the islanders adopted the Catholic faith. In 1538 it was pillaged by Barbarossa but did not fall to the Turks until 1715. Between 1770 and 1774 it was under Orloff. Many Greek refugees from Psara and Chios fled to Tenos during the Revolution of 1821. In 1822 the miraculous icon of the Virgin was discovered. It was in the harbor of Tenos that the Greek warship "Elli" was torpedoed by the Italians in 1940.

SIGHTS-MONUMENTS Tenos, the island's capital, stands on its south side. It developed after the Venetians' retreat in 1715 and is a typical island town with whitewashed houses and narrow streets. The most important monument there, and indeed on the entire island, is the church of the Virgin, built in 1823 following the discovery of her icon. It is an imposing edifice of white marble and has several ancillary buildings. The Museum of Tenian Artists and Modern Greek Painters is well worth a visit, with works by contemporary Greek artists, while in the Art Gallery there is a collection of reproductions of works by Renaissance painters. There is a rich library in the monastery and sacristy with vestments and ecclesiastical plate. Exhibited in the Archaeological Museum are finds from sites all over the island. East of the town of Tenos is the monastery of the Holy Trinity (1610) where there is a small collection of local folk art, and even further east is the Venetian harbor of Aghios loannis (Ai Yannis sto Porto). In the environs of the town and in the villages there is a proliferation of dovecotes; elaborately embellished, they constitute one of the distinctive features of the island. 5 km. northeast of Tenos is Triantaros, a picturesque village with a church of the Taxiarchs. Slightly to the north is Dyo Choria (two villages) built on a richly wooded hillside. From here one has a view of the nearby convent of Kechrovouniou, dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin, where-there is the cell of Hosia Pelagia, the nun who dreamt of the finding of the icon of the Virgin Evangelistria. There is a little chapel consecrated to her memory, as well as several other smaller churches and handicraft workshops. 2 km. northeast are the villages of Mesi and Steni. In the immediate vicinity is the monastery of St. Anthony with its magnificent Byzantine iconostasis. From Steni one can proceed to the villages of Myrsini and Falatados. Remains of the Venetian castle and medieval town are preserved 3 km. from Steni, at Xobourgo. In addition to the Venetian ramparts and ruined castle, some ancient Greek remains can be discerned (8th/7th century BC) in the area between Xobourgo and Xynara. The Ursuline convent at Loutra was renowned for its school. The next village, Komi, is one of the largest on Tenos and has many authentic Tenian houses in good condition. A minor road leads to Kolymbithra, one of the most delightful beaches on the island's east side. From Xobourgo one can also visit Kampos, and further northwards one passes through the villages of Tarabados with its ornate dovecotes and Kardiani with its quaint houses and little churches. Immediately after Kardiani is the village of Ysternia, where many modern artists live, and northwest of here is one of the oldest churches on Tenos, that of St. Athanasios (1453) and the monastery of the Virgin Katapoliani (1786). The largest and perhaps loveliest village on the island is Pyrgos, (Panormos) with a long tradition in stone-carving and painting, birthplace of many Greek artists. There is a museum of works by Yannoulis Chalepas in his family home and there are ateliers of sculpting, painting and wood-carving. The houses in Pyrgos are characterized by their ornate exteriors particularly of carved marble. There are also elaborately decorated fountains and several interesting churches, of St. Eleousa and of the Presentation of the Virgin. About 3 km. distant from Pyrgos is the picturesque bay of Panormos which is quickly growing into a holiday resort. 5km. northwest of Pyrgos, at Marlas is the nowadays abandoned monastery of Hosia Xeni.

Next month: The Islands of the Cyclades - Mykonos, Part 13 of 22

Vintage Greek City Photos from the Cyclades Island Region - Tenos
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