On her return, Ursula’s ship arrives in Cologne after having sailed up the Rhine. The city, however, has been overrun by Attila, who is seen in the foreground as he is informed of her arrival. The flags bearing three crowns placed side by side on a red backdrop are, according to one scholarly interpretation, a reference to Mehmed II and therefore an allusion to the threat posed by the Turks, Venice’s enemies. The perspectival view of Cologne contains little references to Venice, and particularly the Serenissima’s Arsenal, which is evoked by the fortified building.
