A depiction of the War of the Bucket with victorious Modenese troops toting the bucket taken from the rival city of Bologna.Credit: Museum of the History of Bologna
Posted on 11/10/2025 8:00:47 AM PST by SunkenCiv
The traditional Italian observation -- Se non è vero, è ben trovato (even if it isn't true, it makes a good story) -- reflects a good deal of human history.
One such colorful event was the 14th-century War of the Bucket between the Italian cities of Bologna and Modena. The story is that after years of tension, a group of Modenese entered Bologna and stole the bucket from the town well.
The Bolognese demanded its return, but the ruler of Modena refused, and war ensued, culminating in the Modenese victory at the Battle of Zappolino in 1325...
After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century, Italy was a mosaic of small states trying to defend their territory while attempting to expand at the expense of their neighbors...
A far more likely cause of the war was not the theft of a bucket but the capture of the Bolognese fortress of Monteveglio by Modena in September 1325, a serious threat to Bolognese defenses and a reason to seek redress.
After years of border incursions, the capture of Monteveglio was the final straw...
In November 1325, a greatly outnumbered Modenese army met the Bolognese at Zappolino. The pope had excommunicated the Modenese leader, declaring him a rebel against God.
The Bolognese had superior numbers but were largely untrained, whereas the Modenese had professional German soldiers sent by the emperor. The result was a decisive Modenese victory, with many Bolognese casualties.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
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A depiction of the War of the Bucket with victorious Modenese troops toting the bucket taken from the rival city of Bologna.Credit: Museum of the History of Bologna
Wound_Man_in_Feldtbuch_der_Wundartzney – Circulating Now from the NLM Historical Collections of the National Library of MedicineWound Man from Hans von Gersdorff's Feldtbuch der Wundartzney (Strasburg, 1519).
So, it was the Cask of Monteveglio ?...............
‘Tis but a scratch.
😆
“I hate Mondays.” Wound Man
Yeah, the poor b******. There are different versions of this, different places and artists, with fewer wounds, different weapons, that kind of thing.
Was it a bucket of Bojangles? Or KFC?
Bucket Head shreds.
Not ‘bucket’, *bouquet*.
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