| Tinos Greece is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, | | | | Today Tinos island has a population of about |
| part of the | | | | 8000. It isfamed for its 20 windmills, 1,000 |
| Cycladic archipelago, 78 nautical miles southeast of | | | | dovecotes, 50villages. It is noted as a place where |
| Athens. It has had name changes through history, | | | | Greek Orthodoxand Roman Catholic peacefully |
| including being called Ophiussa,for the snakes, and | | | | coexist. |
| Hydroessa, for the water. Aristophanes called it | | | | Tinos island's capital, Ermoupoli, is quite unique. |
| Skordoforosfor the quality of the garlic grown | | | | It is the one of the most important port in the |
| here. | | | | archipelago. |
| The Cyclades Islands are most likely remnants of | | | | Much of this Greek island's success is due |
| anancient mountain chain that once connected | | | | tomarble. A noted, beautiful green marble is mined |
| Greece to | | | | here,as is asbestos and granite. |
| Asia Minor. Historically, Tinos island has | | | | Marble brings artists, and indeed, Tinos is an |
| beeninhabited by the Phoenicians, Ionians, | | | | artcenter. Many sculptors and painters live and |
| Athenians, | | | | work onthe island. Tinos is sometimes referred to |
| Macedonians and Romans. Tinos island was named | | | | as Small |
| for thefirst settler, Tinos. After Roman times, | | | | Paris. |
| Tinos Greece becamea possession of the | | | | Perhaps the artists are inspired by the unique |
| Byzantine Empire. It was a remotecolony, and the | | | | andvaried landscape and many beaches on the |
| target of numerous pirate raids by | | | | island. Ormaybe it's the the highest mountain, Mt. |
| Turks, Arabs, Saracens, Sicilians, Huns and Goths. | | | | Tsiknias, andthe quaint village it protects...or |
| Along with all this civil uproar, Tinos island in | | | | maybe it's thenearby area. scattered with |
| Greece wasgeologically challenged, being the site | | | | boulders, some the size ofmultistory houses. |
| of frequent,very destructive earthquakes. And to | | | | The people of Tinos Greece remain inspired by a |
| further add tothe chaos, epidemics plagued the | | | | miracle, andthey commemorate that miracle |
| population. Tinos Greecehas never been geared so | | | | every August 15, the |
| much for development as forsurvival. | | | | Feast of the Assumption. On 15 August 1940, |
| The feudal Byzantine system, with knights owing | | | | thepeople were celebrating and the ship, Elli, was |
| landsslaved over by peasants, was replaced when | | | | in theharbor, fully decorated. An Italian submarine |
| the | | | | sneakedinto the harbor, attacked and sank the |
| Venetians took over in the 1200's. By the 1700's, | | | | ship, because |
| this Greekisland was part of the Ottoman Empire. | | | | Greece had broken diplomatic ties with fascist |
| After the Turkish invasion, Tinos island was | | | | Italy. |
| relatively freeof restrictions placed on the people | | | | But, the Italians had also fired two more |
| of nearbyislands. The people of Tinos Greece | | | | torpedoes,aimed right at the piers, crowded with |
| were allowed to weartraditional garb, not being | | | | people. |
| forced to wear a fez. | | | | Neither torpedo detonated, sparing the people. |
| They also built their own schools and churches. | | | | Thismiracle was attributed to the Virgin Mary and |
| Infact, Turkish boats did not land on this | | | | everyyear the people of Tinos Greece |
| islandwithout he permission of the people. | | | | remember, and celebrate. |