Costa Rica is prone to earthquakes.

This church, San Nicolas in Cartago, was dedicated in 1575
and was hit with its first earthquake the same year.
This earthquake in 1910 was the fifth which damaged it.
This time the citizens took heed, did not rebuild, and turned the ruins into a park.

Cartago, founded in 1563 by the Spanish conquistador Juan Vásquez de Coronado,
was the capital of Costa Rica for nearly three centuries.
It is about 20 km east of the present capital of San Jose.
It lies at an elevation of 1,440 m at the foot of 3,432 m high Irazú Volcano.

This picture postcard, however, was sent from San Jose.
Its destination was Milan.
It is addressed to a representative of the Italian Bank.

The stamps are cancelled with a square handstamp
with dating at the left and bars at the right.
It is franked with two 1910 2c deep green Juan Mora Fernández stamps (Scott 70).

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