6.1 Stendhal’s Syndrome

How do you feel when you see a beautiful painting? Happy?  Impressed? Surprisingly, some people might answer that it makes them feel sick. They have an illness called “Stendhal’s Syndrome.” 

The syndrome is named after a French writer called Stendhal who was overwhelmed when he visited Florence in 1817. The city was so rich in art and history that he couldn’t control his emotions. Later, he wrote about his feelings in a book: “Everything spoke so vividly to my soul. I walked with the fear of falling.”

An Italian doctor later noticed strange behavior in some of the tourists who visited Florence. They felt dizzy and confused when they looked at great artwork. Also, they experienced panic attacks that would last for a few days. The doctor named the syndrome after Stendhal.