The Last Venetian Weekend

Across the River and into the Trees

This flow follows Richard Cantwell’s final visit to Venice from his return to a city he loves through the farewell that precedes his death.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Return to the Veneto Return to the Veneto from "Across the River and into the Trees". Return to the Veneto Homecoming Richard Cantwell drives from Trieste through landscapes marked by both memory and war.

Return to the Veneto from "Across the River and into the Trees". Return to the Veneto Homecoming Richard Cantwell drives from Trieste through landscapes marked by both memory and war.

Return to the Veneto Homecoming Richard Cantwell drives from Trieste through landscapes marked by both memory and war. Familiar roads bring back his youth as an infantryman and the battles that shaped his life. A city claimed He treats Venice not as a tourist destination but as a home he helped defend. The approaching city gives his last visit its emotional center.

The City Across Water The City Across Water from "Across the River and into the Trees". The City Across Water A historical view Cantwell shows Ronald Jackson the islands and explains how people from Torcello established Venice.

The City Across Water from "Across the River and into the Trees". The City Across Water A historical view Cantwell shows Ronald Jackson the islands and explains how people from Torcello established Venice.

The City Across Water A historical view Cantwell shows Ronald Jackson the islands and explains how people from Torcello established Venice. His account makes the city’s origins part of his personal map of belonging. Recognition The view moves him as it did when he first saw Venice as a young soldier. His attachment is inseparable from the fighting that once kept him outside it.

A Familiar Hotel A Familiar Hotel from "Across the River and into the Trees". A Familiar Hotel Returning among friends At the Gritti Palace Hotel, Cantwell is welcomed by people who know him beyond his military rank.

A Familiar Hotel from "Across the River and into the Trees". A Familiar Hotel Returning among friends At the Gritti Palace Hotel, Cantwell is welcomed by people who know him beyond his military rank.

A Familiar Hotel Returning among friends At the Gritti Palace Hotel, Cantwell is welcomed by people who know him beyond his military rank. The familiar rituals give him a temporary place of ease. A limited reprieve The warmth of the hotel contrasts with his failing health and the departure he knows is coming. His social home makes the approaching separation more vivid.

A Day Made Precious A Day Made Precious from "Across the River and into the Trees". A Day Made Precious Shared hours Cantwell and Renata spend the day eating, walking, and talking in places that matter to them.

A Day Made Precious from "Across the River and into the Trees". A Day Made Precious Shared hours Cantwell and Renata spend the day eating, walking, and talking in places that matter to them.

A Day Made Precious Shared hours Cantwell and Renata spend the day eating, walking, and talking in places that matter to them. Ordinary pleasures become charged because both understand how little time they have. Chosen attention They set aside strangers and distractions to attend to each other. The day’s intimacy is a deliberate answer to the uncertainty of his health.

The Road Out The Road Out from "Across the River and into the Trees". The Road Out Departure After the hunt, Cantwell leaves Venice with Ronald Jackson, carrying Renata’s portrait and his guns.

The Road Out from "Across the River and into the Trees". The Road Out Departure After the hunt, Cantwell leaves Venice with Ronald Jackson, carrying Renata’s portrait and his guns.

The Road Out Departure After the hunt, Cantwell leaves Venice with Ronald Jackson, carrying Renata’s portrait and his guns. He has said goodbye, but his thoughts remain with the woman and city behind him. The final turn On the road, his heart fails during an attack. His last instruction sends Jackson toward Trieste, while a written order arranges the return of the portrait and guns to their owner.

The day before the duck hunt

Late afternoon on the drive into Venice

The first evening at the Gritti

The morning after his first night in Venice

After the final duck hunt