Your guess
Why is this war called the "War of the Bucket"?
The Battle of Zappolino
On 15 November 1325 the armies of Modena and Bologna met at Zappolino, one chapter in the long feud between Ghibellines and Guelphs. An estimated 4,000 to 5,300 horsemen and some 35,000 foot soldiers took part. Modena won, even though Bologna had far more infantry.
Mockery at the gates
The victors marched up to Bologna's walls and held a race there, a palio, to mock the city. Then they went home with the bucket. 26 captured Bolognese notables were held in Modena for eleven weeks.
The bucket in the tower
In Modena the bucket was revered as a sign of victory. Alessandro Tassoni turned it into a mock-heroic poem, "La secchia rapita", the stolen bucket; it was printed in 1622. In 1911 the bucket was still hanging in the basement of the Ghirlandina tower.
