The Stendhal Syndrome First Happened in Florence

The Stendhal Syndrome, also known as the Florence syndrome, is the term used to describe the rapid heartbeat and even fainting that can happen when one is in the presence of works of art. In Florence in 1817, French author Stendhal had his first encounter with it.

Though Stendhal syndrome's existence has long been debated by psychologists, some persons may have symptoms that are severe enough to need medical attention. Doctors at Florence's Santa Maria Nuova hospital are accustomed to treating tourists who develop disorientation or vertigo after viewing the David statue, paintings in the Uffizi Gallery, and other historical treasures of the Tuscan city.

Despite the fact that there are many accounts of people passing out while admiring Florentine art dating back to the early 19th century, the syndrome wasn't named until 1979. That's when Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini wrote about it after noticing more than a hundred similar cases among visitors to Florence. There isn't enough evidence to categorize Stendhal syndrome as a single psychiatric disease, but there is proof that exposure to art activates the same brain regions associated with emotional responses.