The impressive church of Evangelistria becomes the center of the island on the 15th of August. It was built during the years of the Revolution of 1821 on the site of an older small church, while the master-builder Efstratios Kallonaris was from Smyrna.
The two-storey form of the building is due to the need not to move away from the original old structure of the smaller church. The main church is a three-aisled basilica with strong western elements and a unique facade. One of its most beautiful parts is the multi-storey marble bell tower.
What are the cells around the church of Panagia of Tinos?
In the cells that surround the church, are housed today:
- the Museum of Tinian Artists, that hosts works by Halepas, Gyzis, Lytras, Filippotis and many others
- the Exhibition of Heirlooms and Icons with a remarkable collection of post-Byzantine icons
- Papadopoulos Gallery with remarkable paintings by Greek painters
- the Antonios Sohos Museum
- the Sacristy (a room where vestments and other things used in worship are kept)
- an Exhibition dedicated to the Virgin Mary
- the Mausoleum of the ship of Elli
The Exhibition of Heirlooms and Icons, in addition to famous icons such as the "Virgin Mary the Perivleptos" of the 14th century, and the "Great Prayer" of the 17th century, also hosts national relics such as the Map of Rigas Fereos (1797), the ring of Theodoros Kolokotronis and others.
How is the church of Panagia in Tinos?
The church is dominated by the miraculous wooden icon of the Annunciation, the innumerable vows and offerings of the faithful, as well as the imposing wood-carved, and the gold-plated iconostasis of the temple. Finally, the despotic throne causes a feeling of awe to faithful and visitors.
The magnificence of this impressive annual celebration of Megalohari, which takes place on August 15, attracts thousands of believers from all over Greece and the world to the island. The highlight of the day is the long procession of the image around the streets of the main settlement.