A walk at Tinos best museums.

I was once confined to lying on the sunbeds at noon and taking a walk during the night, or eating ice-cream in the Town. As I grow up, i started to explore and learn Tinos better. Its special “culture” and civilization can’t be given to you unconditionally. Tinos awaits your attention and your participation. As a matter of fact, sunbeds were replaced by reports, concerts and museums. Let's talk abou the museums of Tinos.

Museums and archaeological sites of Tinos presents to public the history of the island and some other aspects of its civilization. A very good idea is to start from the Archaeological Tinos Museum which is located in the main route of the Town and leads to Panagia. Apart from exploring the value of the ceramics of the 7th century b.c. in the museum, you can walk into the atrium and discover the pattern with the starts on the roof of the Posidone sacred seaside and Amfitritis which was existed in Kionia territory (near the current Town).

As you leave, do not forget the solar clock of Andronikos from Kiristos, one of the most important findings of the museum, which many people consider it as the mechanism ancestor of Antikithira. Go to Panagia and make sure that you won’t leave this place before you see the gallery of the Evaggelistras holy church which includes more than 120 projects that was made by Greek artists. Of course the gallery includes projects from the top Tinos painters, Nikiforos Lytra and Nikolaos Gyzi.

It is also known that in Tinos, sculpture with the north-west core of the “outter side” (Pirgos,Panormos,Ysternia,etc.) there is a tradition that starts from the antiquity and that the island was the place of origin from the most important sculptures during the 19th century. 

The Gianoulis Chalepas museum-house should be visited for sure. You may have the feeling that he has just went out for a walk to the village (Pirgos) and that by returning he may meet you there. So, before you become noticeable, continue your walk to Pirgos and especially to the modern museum of Marble which belongs to Piraeus group cultural foundation. There you will have the chance to learn about the marble itself as a material, the technology about it and also how it is related with the Art.

On Volax village, after you admire the epileptic landscape with the rounded rocks of granite, get lost into the alleys of the village and play the game of the hidden treasure driven by the marble plates  which lead you to the Laographic Volax Museum.

Next stop, Kampos village and Kostas Tsoklis Museum. In this museum you will be welcomed by St.George and the dragon, while the building which is white with stones, used to be a primary school that had been deserted.  Cross the three halls of museum and find out through the mirrors of the last hall (with the title of “Prometheus improvidence”) that even in despair we are not alone…

If you reach up to here, then you have read all my advices. Follow all of them or some or forget about them all. Whatever you do, track your own paths in Tinos. Create your relationship with the island. Something tells me that it will become a good friend of yours and that you will visit it again.