In the fall of 1948, Ernest Hemingway made his first extended visit to Italy in thirty years. His reacquaintance with venice, a city he loved, provided the inspiration for the story of richard cantwell, a war-ravaged Ame...In the fall of 1948, Ernest Hemingway made his first extended visit to Italy in thirty years. His reacquaintance with venice, a city he loved, provided the inspiration for the story of richard cantwell, a war-ravaged American colonel stationed in Italy at the close of the Second World War, and his love for a young Italian countess.