Maria Mouzaki - CHionatou

Maria Mouzaki - Chionatou is a native of Tzia (Kea). Born in 1955, she developed a love for listening to old stories, legends, and traditions from her grandparents at a young age. She lovingly collected old objects, documented, and preserved them. As she grew older, she dedicated her life to preserving and showcasing the intangible and tangible cultural heritage of her homeland. In 2011, with the help of her family, she transformed her ancestral home into the "Folklore Museum of Kea" to exhibit all the items she had painstakingly gathered. Alongside this, they created an open-air theater where cultural and interactive events are held. In 2015, she organized the Museum's children's workshop to introduce children to the folklore and cultural heritage of the island. For her contributions to culture, she has received honorary commendations and distinctions from the Piraeus and Islands Group for UNESCO, the South Aegean Region, the Municipality of Kea, and the Friends of Kea Association. In 2017, she was nominated by the UNESCO Group for the EU's "EUROPA NOSTRA" award. Her other literary works include: "The Exotar of Tzia" (2009), "Tziotic Glossary and Proverbs" (2011), "The Beautiful Helen of Tzia" (2012), "In the Time of Lambros" (2013), "In the Days of Lambros" (2014), "The Journey of Krithinitis" (2015), and "Traditional Tziotic Recipes" (2016).