The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-03-04 00:00:00

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10

i,DEATH OF A CELEBRATED ITALIAN

INNKEEPER.
li The Naples Correspondent of The Times writes, under
adate February 18 :

I"One who was really the most prominent character
in the Island of Ischia, Saverio Zavota, has just
, passed away. Every one who visited the island must
have known or heard of him and very few' were our
. countrymen who remained there for any time who did
not make his personal acquaintance. For many years
; he has conducted the charming hotel known as the
, Belle Vue ; but it is on other grounds than this that
. he is entitled to a brief notice. Saverio Zarvota,
, during the Peninsular War, was courier to the Duke
' of Wellington, and in this position was, often brought
into close relations with many of Lcityacountrymen
of high distinction. By those he was, never for-
gotten, and during my short residence' there, a hen
Gatibaldi was the guest of Zavota, the old man
was greatly pleased by the visit-Ifi- an English
nobleman who had known him in foirner 'times. His
gossip was of the most interesting character. He
had assisted, he said, in carrying Sir John Moore
off the tield when wounded at. the Battle of Cornuna,
At Venice he had met Lord Byron, and was full of
pleasant reminiscences of the great poet to whom tardy
justice is now being rendered. But to return to Spain:
whenever the Duke, he related, had any very impor-
tant despatch to send off he was always employed,
and one little incident he added which seemed
to confirm the truth of the statement,:—' 04
one occasion; when the Duke wished me to carry at
message to ~regiment at some distance, I. asked bird
, to write it on very fine paper, and make it as small as
possible. On being, asked the reason of my request,
I said that in the event of my being taken prisoner by.
the French I then could swallow it.' At the conclu-
sion of the war he was for 20 years head servant Or
. steward to Lord Ilchester, in whose service his conduct
• must have been exceptionally good to have conciliated
the regard and respect of the descendants of his Lord-
ship. To 'Old England' and everything English
,I;ke„tyas greatly attached, and .as he was a:kind of
eonnecting link between the country of his affections
and an island so much frequented by English, some
brief notice of him is due, to his
,memory.. After his
death he was laidiont in great state; and being a kind
of public character, all the honours that the country
could offer were rendered to him., Holding the aria- .
tocracy'of England in high esteem; itlwouid have been'
a great consolation to-tl_xe 'old_ mu could he have •
realizedit that he,was followed to thegrsore, among many
,other - mourners, by 'a- real mitard• Anglais' in the
. person of Lord Garvagh..A Zavota ivas' a fine•looking
old man of 86 years of age, and though his hair was
grey, it was as abundant as it was in hii youth. Gay
, and active and full of pleasant anecdote, he was in
sound health till within two days of his death, which
was caused hy indigestion. When speaking of his
. health and strength he was accustomed to attribute
them to his never-failing practice of taking 25 mineral
, baths every season, but it is natural to suppose that
' his convictions, however honest, were somewhat
affected by his being the proprietor of the Hotel de
. Belle Vue. Many in England who knew and respected
Zavota will read this brief notice with interest,"