NOA WILDSCHUT

A thirst for adventure, a desire for education or the wish to gain practical experience – these and many other reasons motivate young people today to spend an extended period abroad. Very few are aware that this is not a modern development, but an old tradition. As early as the 17th century, aristocrats and members of the upper middle class embarked on educational journeys to experience the culture of foreign countries. Among them was Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, who was sent to Italy by his father at the age of 21. His letters from these two years stand as evidence of his enthusiasm for Italian culture and his studies in Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples. Another testament is his fourth symphony, the ‘Italian’. Although Dutch singer Noa Wildschut did not participate in an Erasmus programme or a voluntary year abroad, the 24-year-old has already travelled the world thanks to her remarkable career. In Wolfegg, she revives the great and enduring enthusiasm for Italy among European (educational) travellers and the Italian zest for life captured musically by Mendelssohn.