The medieval era once saw a war fought over a wooden bucket. To be sure, it was not only about that, but the bucket was the trigger and symbol around which the conflict revolved. It would be hilarious, if not for the fact that thousands were killed or wounded as a result. Below are twenty one things about that and other fascinating medieval warfare facts.
21. A Medieval War Fought Over a Bucket
For centuries, as popes and Holy Roman Emperors vied for dominance, medieval Italy was wracked by strife as different factions chose sides. The Guelphs backed the popes, while the Ghibellines backed the emperors. Amidst such tension and factionalism, almost any excuse could be good enough for war. Which explains the War of the Oaken Bucket between the cities of Modena and Bologna. Modena was a Ghibelline city, while the bigger Bologna was a pope-supporting Guelph polity. In the traditional telling, the war began when some soldiers from Modena dashed into Bolognese territory and seized an oaken bucket from a well. The bucket in of itself was not the cause of the war, but it eventually became a symbol around which the war revolved. Bologna demanded the return of the bucket, and Modena declined.
The more the Bolognese insisted on the bucket’s return, the more important it became for Modena to refuse. For both sides it became a matter of honor and pride. Especially for the smaller Modena, for whom hanging on to the bucket despite threats from the bigger Bologna became a stand-in for courage and defiance, and a refusal to get pushed around. Eventually, the Bolognese, along with their Guelph allies, gathered an army of 30,000 infantry, and 2500 knights. They were personally led by Pope John XXII. Modena could assemble only 5000 infantry and 2800 knights. When the armies met at the Battle of Zappolino 1325, the plucky Modenese routed the far bigger Bolognese host in an engagement that produced around 3000 casualties in killed and wounded. Ever since, the oaken bucket has been displayed at Modena’s town hall as a representation of civic pride.
