The Great Tinos Island Pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary

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Tinos is welcoming thousands of visitors arriving from across Greece and abroad for one of the country’s most important religious pilgrimages.

They come to worship the Virgin Mary, light a candle, fulfil a vow or simply visit a place that for more than two centuries has been closely associated with faith, hope and human hardship.

For the people of Tinos, August 15 is more than the island’s most important religious celebration. Mayor Panagiotis Krontiras describes it as the “Easter of summer”, a day that represents an “honour and blessing” for the island and requires a major mobilisation of local authorities and the community.

The island changes dramatically during these days. The peak August tourist season combines with a huge influx of pilgrims, putting Tinos’ infrastructure and services under intense pressure.

“We are already at our limits,” Krontiras tells the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, noting that the island’s population quadruples in August, particularly around the feast of the Virgin Mary.

Saint Pelagia and the discovery of the icon

The history of the great pilgrimage dates back to the early years of the Greek War of Independence.

According to the Panhellenic Shrine of Evangelistria of Tinos, Pelagia, a nun at the Kehrovouni Monastery, repeatedly saw the Virgin Mary in visions. She was shown where the icon lay buried and instructed to organise excavations.

The first efforts began in 1822, with the search intensifying early the following year. On January 30, 1823, workers discovered the icon of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, a date that Tinos continues to commemorate.

News of the discovery quickly spread across revolutionary Greece. At a time when the outcome of the War of Independence remained uncertain, many people interpreted the discovery as a divine sign supporting the Greek struggle.

Prominent figures of the Revolution, including Theodoros Kolokotronis, Andreas Miaoulis, Nikitaras and Makriyannis, travelled to Tinos to worship the icon.

From its earliest days, therefore, the Virgin Mary of Tinos became associated not only with religious tradition but also with the modern history of Greece.

A church built with the faithful’s contributions

The imposing Church of Evangelistria rose at the site where the icon was discovered. Its construction required substantial resources, materials and labour, with contributions from the faithful playing a decisive role.

Over the years, the church and the Panhellenic Shrine of Evangelistria became important landmarks in the island’s religious, social and cultural life. The foundation developed charitable and educational activities, supporting schools, scholarships and cultural initiatives.

Above all, however, the special relationship between the faithful and the Virgin Mary established Tinos as one of Greece’s most important pilgrimage destinations.

The road to the Virgin Mary and the vows of the faithful

One of the most recognisable images of Tinos shows pilgrims crawling on their knees along the road from the port to the church.

For those who make this difficult journey, the act carries a deeply personal meaning. Some have prayed for help during a difficult period in their lives. Others return to give thanks, while some fulfil vows that their families have passed down through generations.

Around them, people of all ages carry candles and offerings. Small metal votive objects, jewellery, icons and personal belongings become physical expressions of prayers, anxieties and gratitude.

The images have appeared on Tinos for decades, but each offering carries its own personal story.

Events begin on August 13

According to Mayor Krontiras, the programme leading up to the main celebration begins each year on August 13.

An open Paraklesis service takes place in the courtyard of the Church of Evangelistria, with the icon brought outside so that pilgrims can participate in the service. Krontiras describes it as a long-standing local tradition.

On the eve of August 15, authorities lay wreaths at the “Elli” memorial and hold the Archbishop’s Vespers.

On the morning of August 15, the Archbishop’s Divine Liturgy takes centre stage, followed by the procession of the icon through the streets of Chora.

The icon leaves the church as thousands of pilgrims fill the main road. Church bells, hymns and the vast crowd create one of the most recognisable scenes of Greek August 15 celebrations.

The “Elli” and the memory of August 15, 1940

August 15 also carries a second, deeply significant historical meaning for Tinos.

On August 15, 1940, while the light cruiser Elli lay anchored outside the port for the celebrations honouring the Virgin Mary, an Italian submarine torpedoed and sank the ship.

The attack, just months before Greece entered the Second World War, marked the island’s history and became permanently linked with its great religious celebration.

“We remember the cruiser and what happened in the port of Tinos,” Krontiras says, stressing that the event gives the day a powerful symbolism connected with national unity and consciousness.

After the August 15 religious ceremonies, the government representative and local authorities board a Hellenic Navy or Coast Guard vessel and pay tribute at sea, where the Elli lies in its watery grave.

Within a few hours, Tinos therefore observes two distinct but deeply rooted traditions: the procession of the Virgin Mary’s icon and the commemoration of an event that remains part of modern Greek history.

“Traditions that have not been lost”

As the character of island communities changes rapidly, Krontiras does not believe that Tinos has lost its central August 15 traditions.

The Paraklesis, Vespers, Divine Liturgy, procession of the icon and ceremonies honouring the Elli continue from one generation to the next.

Tinos’ relationship with the Virgin Mary also extends beyond August.

The island commemorates the discovery of the icon on January 30, the Annunciation on March 25 and the anniversary of Saint Pelagia’s vision on July 23.

August 15, however, remains the island’s defining moment. Tinos fills with people, the streets of Chora become packed and the religious pilgrimage reaches its peak alongside the height of the tourist season.

Behind the crowds lie thousands of personal stories: a prayer for someone facing hardship, a fulfilled vow, a family returning year after year, or an elderly pilgrim following the same path they walked as a child.

More than two centuries after its discovery, the icon of the Virgin Mary remains at the centre of a relationship that needs little explanation for those who make the journey to Tinos.

On August 15, when the icon once again takes to the streets and, later, tributes turn towards the sea and the watery grave of the Elli, the island will experience once again what its mayor calls the “Easter of summer” — a day when personal faith meets collective historical memory.

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