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 According to the tradition, the church was built following the dream of a local nun from the Monastery of Kechrovouni in Tinos who later became saint, Pelagia. The nun used to have frequent dreams of the Virgin Mary telling her to find "her home" and showing a particular place. When the nun dug in that place, in January 30th 1823, she found an icon depicting Virgin Mary praying.
This icon was considered miracle-working and it has been put today in the church. Pilgrims leave their offerings in that icon that are usually the depiction of their wishes, for example the depiction of a child, a house, a boat or even a part of the body. This icon is usually covered with the offerings and you can hardly see it. However, there is a copy of that icon in the Chapel of the Discovery, on the ground floor.
Experts date the icon from the 7th century AD and therefore it belongs to the Byzantine period. When the icon was found in 1823, the Greek Revolution against the Turks had just started and this was considered a good sign from the revolutionary fight. In fact, many Greek leaders came to Tinos to pray to the icon, such as Karaiskakis, Kolokotronis and Markygiannis.
 The Church of Panagia Megalochari in Tinos is actually a monastery complex. It was originally built on the site of an early-Byzantine church dedictaed to Saint John, which in its turn was built on the site of an ancient temple of Dionysus, as excavations have shown. On the ground floor, there is the Chapel of the Discovery. This chapel started to be built in 1823, when the holy icon was found.
On top of and around this small chapel, the whole monastery has been constructed. In this chapel, next to the copy of the holy icon, there is a fountain from where you can take holy water. On the ground floor, there are also two rooms where baptims take place.
Once you climb up a small stair, you will see the main church, an impressive building all made of marble. This white marble is from Tinos and the church was constructed by local artisans. A beautiful bell tower stands by the church and a lot of stairs lead to the entrance. The atmosphere inside is solemn. Services are performed every day. A date on the wooden iconostasis informs visitors that the church opened in 1825.
 The church of Panagia Megalochari celebrates three times a year: on January 30th, the date when the icon was found; on March 25th, the day of the Annunciation of the Virgin; and on August 15, the day of the Assumption of the Virgin, which is also the greatest feast. Pilgrims and officials flush into the island, while the Hellenic Navy sends a ship to give more glory to the feast. A Holy Service is perfomed in the morning and then a procession of the icon around Chora follows.
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