A closer look
Stendhal syndrome is a documented psychosomatic condition where tourists experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, and even hallucinations when exposed to objects of great beauty or antiquity, most commonly associated with visiting the city of Florence. Hospital staff in Italy literally have to treat dozens of overwhelmed vacationers every single year who suffer actual physical breakdowns from looking at too much Renaissance art. Imagine saving up for years, flying across the ocean, surviving the jet lag, and successfully navigating cobblestone streets, only to be hospitalized because Michelangelo's statue of David was simply too aesthetically pleasing for your brain to process. It is the ultimate testament to human fragility that we can survive harsh climates and predatory beasts, but a particularly nice oil painting can instantly put us in the emergency room
