Ελληνικά 
Six kilometers away from Tinos Town, there is a gem village. A village that honors its tradition but at the same time builds a legacy for the future, with all the cultural events that take place in it. Mountados Tinos unfolds in our pages through the “voice” and the heart of its association, Elias Sigalas.
Mountados is one of the 47 old villages of Tinos (Cyclades – Greece) and is located for at least 600 years in the western foothills of Kechrovounio, under the homonymous women’s Monastery, at an altitude of 300 meters.
A document of 1709, brought to light by the eminent historian f. Markos Foskolos, mentions the village called Montados. This name is found several times until the beginning of the 20th century. It was quite possible that it was originally called that way, but over the years, because of the Tinian local language, the name Mountados prevailed.
Today Mountados, which has been designated as a Traditional Settlement, is a picturesque village, within a distance, by car, of 6km from the capital of Tinos. It has few now, but very hospitable residents. Its visitor is impressed by its Cycladic architecture, as it crosses its clean narrow twisted cobblestones and tiered streets, with its successive arches, old stone-built traditional houses and its stone covered fountain.
In the past it was quite developed regarding letters and arts (hence the teasing name of the Mountadians: Wise and Philosophers). Walled today in the village’s Event Hall, a marble artistic inscription reports:
School dedicated by Ioannis Kollaros
July 1st, 1811
confirming the existence of a School (perhaps Scholarchio) until the middle of the 19th century in this area, which was later donated to the parish of Agios Ioannis (1871). There are people coming from Mountados with a significant contribution to the history of Tinos, but also of Greece.
The Paximadis family, people joined the organization Filiki Eteria of the Greek Revolution, the Byzantinist professor Georgios Lambakis, the priest and hagiographer Georgios Kontarinis, the pioneering photographer of the time Ioannis Lambakis, the engraver and wood carver Ioannis Platis, the painter and hagiographer Emmanuel Lambakis etc.
The village is surrounded by 28 small or large churches, with the Cathedral of Agios Ioannis built in 1849. The festival of Ai- Gianniou in Mountados, Tinos, takes place twice a year. On January 7th, in winter and in summer, on June 24th. In summer there’s also the famous feast, thanks to the pleasant weather.
Μουντάδος
The villagers have been making sure to whitewash their homes, inside and out, since May, in order to have a general cleanliness to welcome the visitors on the same day. The church wardens also have to do the whitewash of the church.
In 1979, the “Association of the people coming from Mountados Tinos” was created. An association, which with its rich action highlights the timeless culture and history of Mountados Tinos.
It has created two large halls, one in Mountados and one in Gyrla, a well-crafted pilgrim for the pilgrimage of the icon of Virgin Mary, which descends on July 23rd from the monastery of the Lady of the Angels. The association is a helper in any maintenance of the Holy Church of Agios Ioannis and other works within the village.
Every summer there are musical events, speeches on topics of culture and history by remarkable speakers. Every two years, since 2015, curated by Mireille Lienard, Philippe Fraisse and our association, the “Little Biennale of Contemporary Art – Visual Wandering in Mountados” takes place.
In it, artists from all over the world take part and exhibit works of art in different places within our village. The Guest star artist paints his work live in some part of our village. The 4th Biennale is scheduled for the summer of 2021 on “perspectives”.
The website of Mountados, www.mountados.gr, is always open, to quote your own material concerning our village and especially to write your comments and opinions in the GuestBook or send articles or publications to our personal email info@mountados.gr.
