War of the Bucket
| War of the Bucket | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the second phase of the Guelph–Ghibelline conflict | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Bologna (Guelph) | Modena (Ghibelline) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Fulcieri da Calboli | Passerino dei Bonacolsi | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 32,000 (at Zappolino) | 7,000 (at Zappolino) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| c. 2,500 killed or wounded | c. 500 killed or wounded | ||||||
The War of the (Oaken) Bucket (Italian: Guerra della secchia rapita) was fought in 1325 between the rival city-states of Bologna and Modena. It took place in the region of Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy. The war was an episode in the over 300-year-long struggle between Guelphs and Ghibellines. Modena won the Battle of Zappolino, the only battle of the war.
A common myth surrounding the War of the Bucket is that it was caused by the Modenese stealing a bucket from a Bolognese well. However, that is mostly incorrect, as the bucket was, according to one source, taken as a trophy by the Modenese after the war—in fact, war was declared because Modena had captured the Bolognese castle of Monteveglio.