Count Andrea

Count Andrea is a friend of Richard Cantwell whose appearance at Harry's Bar in Venice offers a glimpse of the Colonel among people who know him well. Tall, blue-eyed, and described as having a face marked by experience and an air of breeding, Andrea greets him with irreverent affection; their embrace and teasing exchange establish familiarity without ceremony.

Identity and Social Position

Andrea moves comfortably through Venice's social world. Before Richard arrives, Ettore reports that Andrea is at the bar and rather drunk, alongside a group of regular women, a Greek princess, and people from the American Consulate. The Barone Alvarito is absent, though he has been looking for Richard. Andrea is thus presented not in isolation but as one of the people through whom news, invitations, and social access circulate.

His appearance combines aristocratic polish with an unshowy attachment to old things: the coat Richard feels during their embrace is handsome tweed that appears to be entering at least its twentieth year. The detail gives their reunion a material intimacy and distinguishes Andrea's bearing from mere display.

Friendship with Richard Cantwell

Andrea addresses Richard with a mockingly affectionate greeting, and Richard answers in kind. Their exchanges move easily from jokes to concern: Richard asks after Andrea's wife and children, who are in Rome, and Andrea replies that they are well and had asked him to pass on their regards. The exchange establishes that their friendship extends beyond the bar and includes knowledge of each other's family lives.

Andrea also notices Renata as she approaches and encourages Richard to invite her for a drink before taking her to a corner table. After Andrea leaves, Renata wonders whether they have hurt his feelings. Richard reassures her that Andrea loves her and likes him. The moment presents Andrea's friendship as broad enough to include Richard's beloved, and his welcome of her as natural rather than possessive or rivalrous.

Role in the Venice Scenes

Andrea's presence helps define the bar as a place of reunion and belonging for Richard. The Colonel has made it across the bridge and into Harry's Bar; there, Andrea's greeting and embrace confirm that he is recognized and at home among familiar companions. Andrea is also part of the practical social network around Richard: he relays that the Barone Alvarito has been seeking him and helps connect the Colonel with the people gathered at the bar.

When the crowd and arrangements prove inconvenient, Andrea leaves after asking that the expense be put on his bill. The text does not establish why he departs, and Renata's question about his feelings remains a concern rather than proof that he was offended. His brief appearance nonetheless supplies a counterpoint to Richard's military identity: in this setting, the Colonel is also a friend, a familiar guest, and a man whose private relationship is welcomed by his companions.