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New Delhi: In the medieval era, a stolen wooden bucket sparked a massive war between Bologna and Modena in modern Italy. Though the reason might seem silly, the two places rivalled in deep social, political and economic reasons.
As per history, a war broke off after soldiers from Modena invaded Bologna and stole a wooden bucket. Despite the Bologna soldiers' request, Modena refused to return the bucket. Consequently, Bologna went to war with Modena in November 1325. The two group assembled their men and set out to fight each other at Zappolino, a town near Modena. While the Bologna army was large in number, the Modena militia was smaller in number but well-trained. The war ended in a few hours as the Modena army managed to defeat Bologna despite their army's strength.
Soon after the victory, the Modena army celebrated the win by invading Bologna and keeping the wooden bucket as their victory symbol at the Modena Cathedral Tower. The defeat stained the image of Bologna despite continuing to be a powerful city.
Today, the war is remembered to be one of the weirdest wars in history. Additionally, the bucket, now kept in Palazzo Comunale in the history section, attracts several tourists from across the globe. The absurd war also serves as a reminder that not all wars are caused due to major incidents.
Meanwhile, it is important to understand why Bologna hated Modena and vice versa.
The two cities had different political and social ideologies. While Bologna sided with the pope, Modena was supportive of the emperor. Also, the two sides had been at war with each other over land and border disputes. Therefore, though the bucket is viewed as a reason for the war, in reality, it just furthered the already existing conflicts into a full-blown battle.
