Description
Two Italian cities went to war in 1325, and all anyone remembers is a bucket. This is the true story of the War of the Bucket.
What really happened:
- 1325: Bologna (on the Pope's side) fought Modena (on the Emperor's side) after an old feud and Modena's capture of Bologna's castle at Monteveglio.
- About 32,000 Bolognese faced about 7,000 Modenese at the Battle of Zappolino. Modena won, and Bologna's army was routed within hours.
- After the battle, the Modenese took a wooden bucket from a well outside Bologna's San Felice gate. The popular story that the bucket started the war is a myth.
- At the peace in January 1326, Bologna got its castles back and Modena kept the bucket.
- Alessandro Tassoni's comic poem La secchia rapita (The Stolen Bucket) was published in 1622.
- Today the bucket is in Modena's town hall, and a copy hangs in the Ghirlandina bell tower.
Note: troop numbers and casualty figures vary a little between sources. We used the commonly cited ones.
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