The will of Evangelis Zappas

Evangelis Zappas was a visionary, but his will demonstrated the pragmatic side of his character. His will was drawn up in November of 1860, just a year after the First Olympia, and proved that he not only understood the need for trade and industrial exhibitions, but also expressed a comprehensive view regarding their protection and upgrading.
Childless and solitary, eccentric but cautious, Zappas was fully aware of the magnitude of his act. Clear-sighted and experienced, financially independent, discerning and patriotic, he may have had a better idea of the scope of the institution he was setting up than those who were actually involved in it. This was why, in his will, he took care to emphasize that not only his relatives, but “every Greek, without exception, has the right to be on the alert regarding execution of the provisions of my present will and to oblige by law those who oppose them to make restitution and restore the said provisions.”
The wishes of Evangelis Zappas were formulated unequivocally, in particular the instruction he left his cousin Konstantinos: "To build a proper and spacious establishment for the Olympia near the stadium, in accordance with the drawings I have sent to Mr Rangavis."