Pyrgos is the largest village of Tinos and one of the most picturesque places in the Cyclades. Its name is due to the Venetian tower built in the 16th century, for the defense of the area. Previously, the village was called Panormos, a name that today defines the homonymous bay. Panormos is today a traditional settlement. It is built on the west side of the island at a distance of about 27 kilometers from the city of Tinos. Its port is the settlement of Ormos Panormou which is located two kilometers north.
The exploitation of the marble (the white and characteristic green of Tinos) and the great tradition of marble craftsmanship made the village to become a top artistic center that has evoked many of the most important Greek artists. Among these are the sculptors Giannoulis Halepas, Dimitrios Filippos, Giannis Voulgaris, Loukas Doukas and the painter Nikiforos Lytras. Nowadays, are still operating in Pyrgos Marble workshops, galleries and the School of Fine Arts of Pyrgos, which continues unconditionally the tradition of the art. Walking in the village alleys gives you the feeling that you are walking to a marble museum, since the carved marble decorates the fountains, the churches, but also the lintels of the houses, the paved alleys and the bus stop.
Pyrgos, the village of arts offers generous moments of relaxation and enjoyment with great attention to aesthetics. Do not forget to visit the house of Giannoulis Halepas that operates as a museum, the cemetery with the marble masterpieces and the Museum of Tinian Artists, where works of Giannoulis Halepas, Philippos, Sochos, Vitalis and others are exhibited. The churches of the village, Agios Nikolaos (1874) and Agios Dimitrios, have excellent marble decoration and the Marble Museum presents the technology and the course of marble from its mining to the creation of the artwork. At the end of your walk, do not forget to go back to the village square to drink coffee and eat really homemade sweets under its two magnificent perennial planes.
Don’t forget to buy a handmade marble piece of artwork to support the local market. It makes a great souvenir.