<--Previous Up Next-->
P1070093.JPG
Tinos, Greece: door
Tinos also is the site of Kionia, the sanctuary of Poseidon and Amphitrite, built in the 4th c BC, and Xombourgo, an ancient city and castle dating from the 8th c BC, rebuilt during the Byzantine period, and later reinforced by the Venetians. The village of Purgos on Tinos has a strong tradition in marble-carving, is the birthplace of many artists, and the center of a famous marble-carving school. It was a trireme from Tinos that defected from the Persian fleet, so as to warn the Greeks to remain in the straits of Salamis and wait for the Persians there, giving them an important advantage for the forthcoming naval battle.
One-third of the island’s population is Roman Catholic rather than Greek Orthodox, due to the 500-year Venetian occupation of the island, which began after the fourth Crusade (1204-1715). In 1715 AD the island finally surrendered to the Ottoman Turks, who had previously failed to capture it 11 times. On august 15, 1940, an Italian submarine torpedoed the Greek warship “Elli”, which had anchored in front of Tinos’ harbor for the celebration of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. This incensed the Greeks and made them even more determined in their struggle during WW II.