Evanghelie Zappa – un filantrop și un precursor al Jocurilor Olimpice moderne

Few know that the first to have the idea of initiating the Modern Olympic Games was a Romanian landowner, named Evangelos Zappa (Ευαγγέλης Ζάππα), although much is known about his life after. In 1856, Evangelos Zappa of Bucharest wrote to Otto I of Bavaria, the King of Greece and the Greek government proposing the revival of the Olympic Games in Athens, offering to provide the necessary funds for organizational expenses, as well as for the construction of sports buildings. His idea was accepted and the first modern Olympic Games, held according to Zappa’s plan, were inaugurated on November 15, 1859, in the presence of the royal family, the government and other personalities of the time.