From the small cloister of one of Italy's most breathtaking Gothic-Renaissance monasteries, a sepia photographic view looks up at the Certosa di Pavia's ornate campanile and the intricate marble arcade of the small cloister garden — its central fountain and manicured beds framed by terracotta arches in a composition that has captivated travelers since the Visconti dukes founded the charterhouse in 1396. Dated 3 January 1919 (or 1925 per postmark), the card was written in German by a traveler who describes the Carthusian monastery as the most beautiful they have seen, notes that the monks have been driven out making it now essentially "ein prachtvolles Museum" (a magnificent museum), and describes their route: Venice–Milan–Lake Garda. Addressed to a recipient named Fanny in St. Pölten, Austria, it passed through both a Milan (Lombardy) transit mark and a Riva del Garda/Trento cancellation, bearing two Italian Kingdom stamps.