Stendhal Syndrome is a psychological health condition recently addressed in the Berlin series. To explain the pathology, the actors point out that it is “a euphoria” that even “causes palpitations” when an individual encounters certain works of art.
© Fran Santiago/Getty Images for Netflix
12/06/2026
by
Qdo you prefer beach destinations or museums? If you vibrate with museums, this condition may be more familiar than you think.
Although there is no clinical consensus regarding a diagnosis Stendhal syndrome it is the pathology that has been increasingly addressed in the context of psychological diseases.
In the third episode of the second season of the Berlin series, La Casa de Papel's spin-off, involved in a cultural scene, the main actors also made a reference to this condition.
One of the characters states that this pathology is distinguished by “a euphoria” that even “causes palpitations”.
In this series, the syndrome does not appear as a diagnosed medical condition, however, the term was used to explain the unmeasured enthusiasm by Andrés de Fonollosa Gonzalves, better known as Berlin – the character played by Pedro Alonso – before a room surrounded by paintings of famous painters.
And although the series is focused on an attempted assault, like La Casa de Papel, this pathology of “vibrating with art” does not refer to the need to steal these same works of art.
This is what Stendhal Syndrome is all about
In the book La Sindrome di Stendhal (1989), Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini of the Hospital Santa Maria Nuova of Florence – with clinical experience in more than 100 cases of tourists affected by intense emotional reactions to works of art in Florence – the author says that the so-called Stendhal syndrome can manifest itself in various ways.
Since then, Stendhal syndrome has been considered a “psychosomatic condition caused by exposure to Florence’s abundant artistic wealth,” the BBC describes.
The most common symptoms:
Dizziness;
Feeling faint.
Acceleration of heartbeats;
Cold sweats;
Shortness of breath;
Disorientation sensation;
Intense anxiety;
Enthusiasms;
In rare cases, hallucinations.
“ Botticelli's works are truly extraordinary. Some people get disoriented; it can be stunning. I have often seen people start crying,” says BBC experts.
Recent studies
More recently, a study published in the Pub Med Neuropsychiatry Archive points out that “although the object of beauty can change from person to person, the astonishment and emotion experienced by a fascinated spectator remain the same”.
The researchers also describe “avassal experiences that can lead to loss of consciousness”.