He received his degree in history in 1889 and spent two years in Rome, where his encounter with Malwida von Meysenbug–who had been a friend of Nietzsche and of Wagner–and his discovery of Italian masterpieces were decisive for the development of his thought.
Graduóse en Historia en 1889 e pasou dous anos en Roma, onde o seu encontro con Malwida von Meysenburg - quen fora amiga de Nietzsche e de Wagner - e o seu descubrimento das obras mestras italianas foron decisivas no desenvolvemento do seu pensamento.