Belvedere Palace Pool, Vienna, Austria Postcard

"Belvedere Palace Pool, Vienna, Austria" by Catherine Sherman. Ornate sculptures are reflected in the pool at the top of the cascade on the grounds of the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, Austria. The view is towards the lower Belvedere Palace and toward the center of Vienna. The spires of St. Stephen's Cathedral are visible on the left. The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria, consisting of two Baroque palaces (the Upper and Lower Belvedere), the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district of the city, on the south-eastern edge of its centre. It houses the Belvedere museum. The grounds are set on a gentle gradient and include decorative tiered fountains and cascades, Baroque sculptures, and majestic wrought iron gates. The Baroque palace complex was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy in the 1700s. In 1776, Maria Theresa and her son, Emperor Joseph II decided to transfer the k.u.k. Gemäldegalerie ("Imperial Picture Gallery") from the Imperial Stables – a part of the city's Hofburg Imperial Palace – to the Upper Belvedere. Inspired by the idea of enlightened absolutism, the intention was to make the imperial collection accessible to the general public. The gallery opened five years later, making it one of the first public museums in the world. Some of the paintings now on display in the Belvedere Museum is the world's largest collection of works by Gustav Klimt, such as "The Kiss," and "Judith." Another notable painting in the museum is "Napoleon at the Great St. Bernard" by Jacques-Louis David. St. Stephen's Cathedral is an Catholic church in Vienna, Austria, and the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the cathedral, seen today in the Stephansplatz, was largely initiated by Duke Rudolf IV and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first a parish church consecrated in 1147. The cathedral's initial foundation stone dates back to 1137. The current building originated in the mid-13th century. The cathedral was badly damaged during World War II, but the city and community repaired all the damage within just a few years.