Dresden, one of most beautiful cities in all of Germany, came to be called “Florence on the Elbe” [Elbflorenz]. This view from the right bank of the Elbe offers a small sample of the city’s architectural treasures around the middle of the eighteenth century: to the left is the Frauenkirche, the most important Protestant Baroque church in Germany (built from 1726-1743), to the right is the Catholic Court Church (construction began in 1738). Between the two churches is the so-called Brühlsche Terasse, known to enthusiasts as “the balcony of Europe.” The famous Augustus Bridge (1727-1731) can also be seen at the right. Detail from an oil painting by Bernardo Bellotto (1720-1780), 1748.