AT-140257 & AT-141545

Tow austrian official cards, one from Vienna and the other from Bad Ischl.

 Verlag C. Bauer GmbH

AT-140257, sent by Claudia.

St. Charles' Church is a magnificent religious baroque building in Vienna, the last work of the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.

The church, finished in 1739 by his son Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, was built as the result of a vow taken by Emperor Charles VI during a plague epidemic. The church is consecrated to the patron saint of the Habsburg emperor, Saint Charles Borromeo: The exhibits in the small Museo Borromeo include the traveling clothes of the Bishop of Milan.

The renovation of the High Altar, designed by Fischer von Erlach, has been completed and it has regained its original splendor. The opulent frescoes in the cupola by Johannes Michael Rottmayr contain 1250 square meters of incredible splendor and beautiful colors; they show the glory of Saint Charles Borromeo. - in: http://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/sights/from-g-to-k/st-charles-church

© St. Wolfganger Kunstverlag 

AT-141545, sent by Greta.

Bad Ischl is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region.

The Kaiservilla in Bad Ischl, Upper Austria, was the summer residence of Kaiser Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi).

Originally the palace was a Biedermeier villa belonging to a Viennese notary named Josef August Eltz. In 1850 it was purchased by Dr Eduard Mastalier. After Franz Joseph's engagement to Princess Elisabeth of Bavaria in 1853, Franz Joseph's mother, Princess Sophie of Bavaria, purchased the villa as a wedding present for the couple.

In subsequent years, the villa was altered and expanded in a Neoclassical style by Antonio Legrenzi. The extant central portion was expanded towards the park and the originally posterior portion of the house was converted to form the entrance with Classical columns and tympana. Two additional wings were constructed, giving the building the overall shape of an "E".

The villa is surrounded by a large park in the "English Style". The architectural ensemble in its contemporary form was completed in 1860. Construction was significantly slowed by the fact that it could not proceed during the summer months due to the presence of the royal family.

Today, the mansion is home to the Archduke Markus Habsburg, but also offers grounds tours to the public. - in: wikipedia