Stendhal syndrome or Stendhal's syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, 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 shopping. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Look up Confusion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Confusion can have the following meanings: Unclarity or puzzlement, e. ... An hallucination is a sensory perception experienced in the absence of an external stimulus, as distinct from an illusion, which is a misperception of an external stimulus. ... The Bath, a painting by Mary Cassatt (1891-1892). ...

It is named after the famous 19th century French author Stendhal (pseudonym of Henri-Marie Beyle), who described his experience with the phenomenon during his 1817 visit to Florence, Italy in his book Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... An author is the person who creates a written work, such as a book, story, article or the like. ... Stendhal [1783-1842] - French Writer Marie-Henri Beyle (January 23, 1783 – March 23, 1842), better known by his penname Stendhal, was a 19th century French writer. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Country Italy Region Tuscany Province Florence (FI) Mayor Leonardo Domenici Elevation 50 m Area 102 km² Population  - Total (as of 2006-06-02) 366,488  - Density 3,593/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Coordinates Gentilic Fiorentini Dialing code 055 Postal code 50100 Frazioni Galluzzo, Settignano Patron St. ...

Although there are many descriptions of people becoming dizzy and fainting while taking in Florentine art, especially at the Uffizi, dating from the early 19th century on, the syndrome was only named in 1979, when it was written up by Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini, who observed and described more than 100 similar cases among tourists and visitors in Florence. The syndrome was first diagnosed in 1982. The Uffizi Gallery (Italian: Galleria degli Uffizi) is a palace or palazzo in Florence, holding one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Graziella Magherini is an Italian psychologist, most known for her 1989 book La sindrome di Stendhal (The Stendhal syndrome), which introduced this term to indicate a psychosomatic illness affecting individuals when exposed to art. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The term is often used when describing the reactions of audiences to music of the Romantic period. Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ...

An extreme, fictionalized variation of Stendhal syndrome figures in the plot of the 2003 novel Diary by American author Chuck Palahniuk. Cover of Chuck Palahniuks Diary Diary (2003, 260 pages) is a novel that was written by Chuck Palahniuk. ... Charles Michael Chuck Palahniuk (IPA: )[1] (born February 21, 1962) is an American satirical novelist and freelance journalist living in Portland, Oregon. ...

There is also a horror film called The Stendhal Syndrome (penned and directed by Dario Argento) in which a policewoman suffers from a dramatized Stendhal syndrome while tracking a serial rapist and killer in the Uffizi. Stendhal syndrome or Stendhals syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, confusion and even hallucinations when the individual is exposed to an overdose of beautiful art, paintings and artistic masterpieces. ... Dario Argento. ... Rape is a crime where the victim is forced into sexual activity, in particular sexual penetration, against his or her will. ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... The Uffizi Gallery (Italian: Galleria degli Uffizi) is a palace or palazzo in Florence, holding one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. ...

See also

• Jerusalem syndrome
• Motif of harmful sensation

The Jerusalem syndrome is the name given to a group of mental phenomena involving the presence of either religiously themed obsessive ideas, delusions or other psychosis-like experiences, that are triggered by, or lead to, a visit to the city of Jerusalem. ... The motif of harmful sensation refers to the physical or mental damage that a person suffers merely by experiencing what should normally be a benign sensation. ...

External links

• Internet Movie Database: La Sindrome di Stendhal
• Auxologia: Graziella Magherini: La Sindrome di Stendhal (book) (excerpts in Italian)
• Word Spy definition