Castel del Piano, Italy – A 24-year-traditional Italian veterinary student studying abroad has died unexpectedly in Spain, leaving her family and university community in mourning. Emma Carratelli, originally from Castel del Piano in the province of Grosseto, passed away on March 2, 2026, while participating in an Erasmus exchange program in Córdoba.
Student Dies in Hospital
Carratelli was a fourth-year student at the University of Naples Federico II, pursuing a degree in Veterinary Medicine. According to early reports, she was hospitalized in the cardiology department of a Córdoba hospital before her death, though details surrounding the cause of death have not been released. The case underscores the vulnerabilities faced by students studying abroad and the importance of access to healthcare in foreign countries.
The University of Naples Federico II announced Carratelli’s death with a statement expressing profound sorrow. “The students and the entire community of the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions and of the School of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine learn with deep pain and immense sadness of the premature death of Emma Carratelli, a brilliant fourth-year Veterinary Medicine student, engaged in an Erasmus period at the University of Córdoba,” the university said. “Your Tuscan accent still echoes in the cloister of the OVUD. The strength of your contagious vitality, your love for Naples and for animals, your great availability, your bright eyes and your sincere smile will forever remain imprinted within our walls and in our hearts.”
From Tuscany to Spain
Carratelli graduated from the Chelli high school in Grosseto before moving to Naples to attend university. She had been in Córdoba as part of the Erasmus program, a European exchange initiative that allows students to study at universities in other countries. Her death has prompted an outpouring of grief from her hometown and the academic community.
“Emma Carratelli was born in Castel del Piano, in the province of Grosseto,” officials stated. She was cremated in Spain, and the loss is being deeply felt by those who knew her. The university’s statement concluded with a message of remembrance: “The power of your determination will be an example to all students. To her family and loved ones, we send our most sincere embrace and deepest condolences. Goodbye Emma, fly always higher, we will not forget you.”
