War of the Oaken Bucket

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The War of the Oaken Bucket, (1325-1337) is a jocular term for a military conflict between the Italian city-states of Modena and Bologna, starting when Modena soldiers invaded Bologna with the goal of stealing an oaken bucket. They succeeded, but several thousands of Bologna citizens died in the meanwhile.

Bologna responded by mobilizing its army and going to war with Modena under the pretext of restoring national honor.

The ensuing war lasted for twelve years, with the hope to avenge the deaths of Bologna citizens, and to take back the bucket. Bologna eventually lost the war, and the bucket (most probably a copy) is still in the Ghirlandina, the tower of the 12-th century Duomo in Modena.

Tassoni later wrote a satirical poem about the war called La secchia rapita.