Stendhal syndrome is a psychosomatic illness characterized by rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and sometimes hallucinations. The purported cause: Exposure to art, especially when the art is perceived to be unusually beautiful or abundant, such as when visiting a museum.
The condition is named after the French author Stendhal (pseudonym of Henri-Marie Beyle) who described these symptoms after visiting Florence, Italy in 1817.
