In the Chora of Tinos, the Panagia of Tinos is the main attraction.
Its official name is "Holy Church of Panagia Evaggelistria of Tinos" and is also known as "Our Lady of Tinos"; the most worldwide famous pilgrimage across Greece. The church is built upon the site where the Icon of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary was found in 1823, after a vision of a nun called Pelagia. Finding the picture amid the Greek Revolution was a divine sign and the Greek predominance against the Turks was probably the first and certainly not the last of the thousands of miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary.
The Church of Panagia Evaggelistria is essentially the first major architectural work of modern Greece, funded entirely by believers' donations. It is a basilica with a dome created to glorify the Virgin Mary and to house the miraculous, according to Christian tradition, icon. Since the very first day of the church, faithful crowds comes to Tinos to venerate the icon and pray --especially for health.
In other areas of the building complex of the Evaggelistria Church, visitors can also admire:
- An exhibition of notable religious icons
- Numerous works of art (paintings and sculptures), many of which are creations of Tinian artists
- The "texts-treasury" where tributes to Virgin Mary and the miraculous image are exposed.
- The mausoleum of Elli, where there is a monument to the crew of the Greek warship Elli that sank beaten by an Italian submarine in the port of Tinos.
Our Lady of Tinos is the most important attraction in the entire island. It is absolutely impossible to get to Tinos and ignore it.
