The Battle for the Bucket is one of the most ridiculous armed clashes in history (7 photos)

People are amazing creatures. Sometimes they manage to consider a cause worthy of war, which in fact is not worth an old bucket.





The reason for the confrontation between two Italian city-states - Bologna and Modena - was the trick of a group of Modena soldiers.



Either the guys were arguing, or they were drunk and weren’t quite aware of their actions, or they were just playing around, but somehow in 1325 they stole a bucket from a well on the outskirts of Bologna. It was unremarkable, not made of mahogany with a gold handle, but a very ordinary, not very new container, swollen with water.





The townspeople were offended and demanded that the stolen property be immediately returned to its place. Modena authorities refused. And on November 15, 1325, one of the most epic battles of the Middle Ages took place.

According to various sources, a total of about 35 thousand infantry and 4 thousand knights took part in the battle. The Modenese were the first to strike, although they were outnumbered.



The formation trembled, the Bolognese fled. The enemy pursued them all the way to the city walls. In total, about 2 thousand people died in a few hours of battle. The “War over the Oak Bucket” ended in complete and unconditional victory for the army of Modena.

Ordinary residents of Modena also came to the city gates of the defeated enemy, mocking the vanquished by organizing impromptu sports competitions with the participation of prisoners, which were supposed to perpetuate the shame of Bologna. According to some reports, the satisfied townspeople took with them another trophy - a bucket from a well outside the city wall.



A copy of the same bucket

After the victory, the enemies restored peace. And as a sign of friendship, the Modenese even returned several previously seized properties to Bologna. The unfortunate bucket, however, was clamped. It remains as a relic in the Cathedral of Modena - on display for all to see



It is believed that this is a preserved original bucket

Over the centuries, the rotted “artifact” was replaced with an exact copy. Although, according to some reports, the valuable original was simply hidden somewhere in the basements. Otherwise, the Bolognese are not asleep and may well, in an effort to restore historical justice, take away a valuable vessel.



Based on the medieval tragicomedy, the Italian author Alessandro Tassoni wrote the satirical poem “The Stolen Bucket,” which made the author famous.