Pl. -ini. Also 7 -ine. [It., f. vettura: see prec.]
1. In Italy: One who lets out carriages or horses on hire; also, a driver of a vettura.
In early use, one who provided horses and made other arrangements for the convenience of travellers whom he accompanied on a journey.
1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 99. We agreed with a Vetturine or letter of horses, that each of us paying him fiftie five Poli, hee should finde us horses, and horsemeate, and our owne diet to Rome.
a. 1668. Lassels, Voy. Italy (1670), II. 258. Others take with them a Vetturino, that lets them have horses, and dyets them to.
1756. trans. Keysler’s Trav., xxxv. I. 301. I made a little excursion into the Milanese, in which I found that the best way of performing it is with the vetturini.
1792. A. Young, Trav. France, 209. Yesterday I agreed with a vetturino, to take me this morning at six o’clock, to Brescia; but … I insisted that he should not come for me without his vettura.
c. 1820. S. Rogers, Italy, Harper (1838), 232, note. Within a crazed and tattered vehicle,… Then degraded, and belonging to a Vetturino.
1883. W. H. Russell in 19th Cent., Sept., 483. Asserting my right of way notwithstanding the fierce opposition of many of the local vetturini, I toiled up the steep ascent for the hotel.
1905. R. Bagot, Passport, xi. 104. I must drive back to Genzano. I told the vetturino to wait.
2. = VETTURA.
1789. A. Young, Autobiog. (1898), viii. 176. I went by a vetturino to Turin.
1857. Lady Morgan, Autobiog., iii. (1862), I. 16. A lumbering post-coach, the Irish vetturino, the ‘leathern convenience’ of that time (like those of Italy of the present day).
1881. Blackw. Mag., July, 122/1. The lumbering vetturino … was packed with the jolly party of bachelors!
3. attrib., as vetturino-carriage, -fashion, etc.
1838. Murray’s Hand-bk. N. Germ., 193. In vetturino travelling, he must expect to start at break of day, in all weathers.
1851. Helps, Comp. Solit., vi. 82. It was necessary to stay some tine (for we travelled vetturino-fashion) at the little post-house.
1859. Lever, Dav. Dunn, lxx. A miserable-looking vetturino carriage stood at the inn door.
