In Pyrgos, Tinos, where the light reflects off marble, stands the house where Yannoulis Chalepas, one of the most significant sculptors Greece has ever produced, was born and raised. The project concerns the conservation of the house and the redesign of its permanent exhibition, aiming to bring forward not only the skilfully built Cycladic vernacular dwelling, but also the space where daily life and artistic creation coexisted for decades. Documented in connection with the Chalepas family as early as 1876, the house was occupied by the artist (1851 - 1938) from his permanent return to Tinos in 1902 until 1930. It was designated a modern monument by the Ministry of Culture in 1968 (Government Gazette B΄ 726/24.12.1968), has operated as a museum since 1971, and is protected under the provisions of Law 4858/2021 on the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

Prior to the implementation of the present project, carried out under the responsibility and supervision of the Service of Modern Monuments and Technical Works of Attica, Central Greece and the Cyclades (ΥΝΜΤΕΑΑΣΕΚ), the house exhibited extensive deterioration - structural and fabric damage, incompatible later interventions, an unstable microenvironment threatening the collections, outdated mechanical and electrical components, inadequate accessibility, and insufficient basic facilities (including sanitary provision) - while the drawings/sketches concealed beneath later layers on the upper-floor walls were not adequately protected.

The conservation project, with a total budget of 713,030 euros, was funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility and in part by National Resources, and was implemented in four phases (2021-2026): documentation and studies; inclusion in the programme and licensing; museological design; and, finally, execution of the conservation interventions and installation of the exhibition, with the conservation works completed in December 2025 and the exhibition in May 2026.

Every intervention was designed according to the principles of minimum intervention, reversibility, material compatibility and the retention of the maximum possible proportion of original fabric, guided by international charters and recommendations on the protection of historic buildings. Traditional materials and techniques were employed (including the application of sardela-type renders, among others); the new mechanical and electrical installations were discreetly integrated, and the new sanitary facilities were placed outside the historic building. The renewed House - Museum of Chalepas now ensures full accessibility without altering the architectural character or scale of the monument. The contribution of local craftsmen proved decisive, combining scientific documentation with their lived experience of traditional building practice.

A particular challenge was the management of the successive layers of pencil drawings/sketches by Chalepas on the walls, unique documents of his creative process. As current knowledge does not allow their full uncovering without risking the loss of data, the strategy adopted was one of preservation and continuous monitoring, with the museum conceived as an open field for future, non-invasive research.

The new museological approach presents the House itself - its spaces, surfaces and the traces of Chalepas' presence - as the principal exhibit, resolving the earlier conflation of authentic and later material introduced by the furniture added since 1971.

The project reinforces the monument's connection to the living tradition of Tinian marble craftsmanship, inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and to institutions such as the School of Fine Arts and Marble Crafts of Panormos and the Museum of Marble Crafts of the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation, situating it within a broader ecosystem that transmits specialised knowledge to new generations of marble craftsmen/artists, who go on to contribute to major restoration projects throughout Greece.

The figure of Yannoulis Chalepas occupies a central place in the project. As one of the most significant figures in modern Greek sculpture, with international resonance, he embodies both the power of artistic creation and the complex relationship between art, difference and mental health. The museum approaches his legacy not only as historical evidence but as a living source of reflection, while the project as a whole illustrates a model for how small communities can respond to climate change and tourism pressure.

In this context, the Service of Modern Monuments and Technical Works of Attica, Central Greece and the Cyclades designed and implemented outreach and public engagement activities in collaboration with schools, universities and educational institutions, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge and to raising public awareness of cultural heritage.