Andreas Kalvos

He was born in Zakynthos in 1792. His mother was named Adriani. His father, Ioannis Kalvos, was a volunteer and officer in the Venetian mercenary army. Ioannis had married twice, which negatively affected Andreas, influencing his dramatic poetry. In the fall of 1813, in Italy, he met Ugo Foscolo and later served him as a secretary and copyist. At the same time, he studied ancient texts and particularly neoclassical Italian literature. Kalvos had an intense and tumultuous romantic life. In 1819, he married the Englishwoman Maria Theresa Thomas, and they had a daughter. However, both mother and daughter soon passed away. Consequently, Andreas Kalvos left England in 1820 and moved between Florence, Switzerland, and France. In 1826, he settled in Paris, where he met many Philhellenes and Orientalists. After many travels, he left Nafplio and went to Corfu in August 1826. There, he became a Doctor of Philosophy and taught comparative literature as a non-permanent professor until 1828. In late 1852, he left for London, where in early 1853, he married the teacher Carlota Augusta Wadams. They settled in Louth, Lincolnshire. His wife founded a higher girls' school there, and Andreas Kalvos taught mathematics and foreign languages. He died in 1867 and was buried in Kensington. The remains of Kalvos and his wife were transferred to Zakynthos in 1960.