(Stendhal's syndrome, hyperkulturemia, or Florence syndrome) - is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art is in a single place.
The term can also be used to describe a similar reaction to a surfeit of choice in other circumstances, e.g. when confronted with immense beauty in the natural world.
Italian scientists are to try to establish whether there really is such a phenomenon as 'Stendhal Syndrome' – the giddiness and confusion supposedly caused when one looks at great works of art.
