Battle of Zappolino
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The Battle of Zappolino, the only battle of the
War of the Oaken Bucket The War of the Bucket or the War of the Oaken Bucket () was fought in 1325 between the rival city-states of Bologna and Modena. It took place in the region of Emilia-Romagna, in northern Italy. The war was an episode in the over 300-year-long s ...
, was fought in November 1325 between forces representing the Italian towns of
Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
and
Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern I ...
, an incident in the series of raids and reprisals between the two cities that were part of the larger conflicts of
Guelphs and Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...
. The Modenese were victorious. Though many clashes between Guelphs and Ghibellines loomed larger to contemporaries than to historians, the unusually-large encounter involved 4000 estimated cavalry and some 35,000 foot soldiers, and 2000 men lost their lives. The location of the battle, at the foot of a hill just outside the castle walls, is now a ''
frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...
'' of the municipality of
Castello di Serravalle Castello di Serravalle is a town in the ''comune'' of Valsamoggia in the Metropolitan City of Bologna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southwest of Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) i ...
,
Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...
.


Setting

Their boundaries had been set by
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (German language, German: ''Friedrich''; Italian language, Italian: ''Federico''; Latin: ''Federicus''; 26 December 1194 – 13 December 1250) was King of Sicily from 1198, King of Germany from 1212, King of Italy and Holy Roman Em ...
, in person, a century earlier, but competitive friction along their mutual
marches In medieval Europe, a march or mark was, in broad terms, any kind of borderland, as opposed to a national "heartland". More specifically, a march was a border between realms or a neutral buffer zone under joint control of two states in which diff ...
between Ghibelline Modena, with the Emperor as a patron, and
Guelf The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rivalr ...
Bologna, with the Pope as a patron, had flared over decades. In 1296, the Bolognese successfully invaded the Modenese lands of Bazzano and Savigno, with the support of
Pope Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani, Caetani family was of b ...
, who recognized in 1298 Guelf possession of the border castles. Within the two cities, the situation was complicated by numbers of exiles and divided loyalties. In Modena, the struggle for power after the death of
Obizzo II d'Este Obizzo II d'Este (c. 1247 – 13 February 1293) was Marquis of Ferrara and Ancona. Biography He was a bastard, the illegitimate son of Rinaldo I d'Este – the only son and heir of the Margrave Azzo VII d'Este – and a Neapolitan laundress. ...
, which divided his sons' friends into hostile camps, was resolved in favor of Azzo VIII, who confronted Bologna partly to bolster his lukewarm reception by his own city's nobles. His elected successor, the Mantuan Passerino Bonacolsi, the agent of Louis of Bavaria, King of the Romans, pursued the embittered war politics, with
Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
, Reggio and Modena also under his power. John XXII declared him a rebel against the Church and granted
indulgences In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God o ...
as befitted a Crusader to any who could harm his person or his possessions. In the months before the battle, border clashes intensified. In July, the Bolognese entered the Modenese territory and laid waste the fields in the section "between the canals" by fire and sword. In August, a Bolognese rabble led by their
podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
, spent two weeks ravaging the lands of Modena. In September,
Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...
took its turn, and at the end of that month, the strategic Bolognese '' rocca'' of
Monteveglio Monteveglio (''Muntvì'' or ''Måntvî'' in the western Bolognese dialect) is a ''frazione'' (village) in the ''comune'' (municipality) of Valsamoggia. It is located about west of Bologna, near the Samoggia River, in the Italian region of Emi ...
was betrayed to Modena by malcontents. Two renegade castellans were beheaded.Matteo Griffoni, "Conflictus Zapolini", in ''Memoriale historicum de rebus bononiensium'', ''s.v.'' 1325.


Battle

As the Bolognese chronicler Matteo Griffoni tells it, the militia and the rabble of Bologna headed by their
podestà Podestà (, English: Potestate, Podesta) was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of Central and Northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a city ...
, aided by allies from
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
and
Romagna Romagna ( rgn, Rumâgna) is an Italian historical region that approximately corresponds to the south-eastern portion of present-day Emilia-Romagna, North Italy. Traditionally, it is limited by the Apennines to the south-west, the Adriatic to t ...
, besieged the fortress of Monteveglio. Quickly, an opposing force arrived, headed by
Cangrande della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...
, the leader of the
Ghibelline The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rival ...
faction,
Azzone Visconti Azzone Visconti (7 December 1302 – 16 August 1339) was lord of Milan from 1329 until his death. After the death of his uncle, Marco Visconti, he was threatened with excommunication and had to submit to Pope John XXII. Azzone reconstituted his fa ...
of Milan, with many of his professional German troops, and Rinaldo, marchese of Ferrara, leading forces of Modena,
Mantua Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...
and
Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...
. Cangrande soon departed for
Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...
, but the Bolognese took for their captain the ''
condottiero ''Condottieri'' (; singular ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian captains in command of mercenary companies during the Middle Ages and of multinational armies during the early modern period. They notably served popes and other Europe ...
'' Malatesta, lord of Rimini. The battle took place 15 November 1325 around sunset. The Bolognese had 30,000 foot soldiers, who would have been haphazardly armed, and 2500 horsemen facing 2800 horsemen on the Modenese side, who were supported by 5000 foot soldiers. Bonacolsi devised a plan to feign a river crossing in an effort to distract part of the Bolognese forces. They put this tactic in action a day prior to the main battle at
Zappolino Valsamoggia (Bolognese dialect, Bolognese: ) is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It was created on 1 January 2014 after the merger of the former communes of Bazzano, Valsamoggia, Bazzano (the current town h ...
. During the cover of night the Modenese headed south to the modern town of
Marano sul Panaro Marano sul Panaro ( Modenese: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Modena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about west of Bologna and about south of Modena. Marano sul Panaro borders the following municipalities: Cas ...
. They crossed the river, and after a short skirmish with a Bolognese vanguard began to march towards Zappolino. The Bolognese realizing they had fallen for a trap began to recall the men that had been sent to the north. The Modenese were positioned close to where the town of Ziribega stands today, while the Bolognese were positioned on a slope coming down from the hill that the fortress was located on. Bonacolsi realized that if he did not strike now while the Bolognese were unorganized it would be far more difficult to attain victory. The Modenese began an attack on the Bolognese lines, and soon heavy fighting erupted. Bonacolsi sent his cavalry around the side, in order to attack the Bolognese from behind. The battle was over by nightfall. Within a couple of hours, the Bolognese were routed. The Modenese advanced to the very walls of Bologna and destroyed the castles of Crespellano, Zola,
Samoggia The Samoggia is a river in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The source of the river is in the province of Modena near Zocca. The river flows northeast into the Metropolitan City of Bologna and flows near Bazzano, Crespellano, Piumazzo, Anz ...
, Anzola, Castelfranco, Piumazzo and the chiusa del Reno near Casalecchio, which diverted the river towards the city. They did not attempt a siege of the city but scornfully organized a ''
palio Palio is the name given in Italy to an annual athletic contest, very often of a historical character, pitting the neighbourhoods of a town or the hamlets of a ''comune'' against each other. Typically, they are fought in costume and commemorate som ...
'' outside the very gates of the city ''ad æternam memoriam præmissorum et æternam Bononiensium scandalum'', "to the eternal memory of those sent out on the expedition and the eternal shame of Bologna", and then returned to Modena brandishing a bucket taken from a well outside Porta San Felice; twenty-six captured notables of Bologna were incarcerated for the next eleven weeks in Modena.


Aftermath

David Abulafia David Abulafia (born 12 December 1949) is an English historian with a particular interest in Italy, Spain and the rest of the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. He spent most of his career at the University of Cambridge, ris ...
in ''The New Cambridge Medieval History'' asserts, "Ghibelline influence in the region was consolidated by a victory at Zappolino". However, peace agreements in the following January returned Monteveglio and the other castles to Bologna, a return locally to ''
status quo ante ''Status quo ante'' may refer to: * ''Status quo ante'' (phrase), Latin for "the way things were before" * Status Quo Ante (Hungary), Jewish communities in Hungary See also * ''Status quo ante bellum The term ''status quo ante bellum'' i ...
'', which was probably paid for privately as ransom with a coin in the hands of Passerino Bonacolsi. At Bologna, the coat of arms of
Pope John XXII Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. XXII; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by ...
was displayed in conjunction with those of Robert d'Anjou, showing that the old alliance of the
Avignon papacy The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon – at the time within the Kingdom of Burgundy-Arles, Kingdom of Arles, part of the Holy Roman Empire; now part of France – rather than i ...
and the
house of Anjou Angevin or House of Anjou may refer to: * County of Anjou or Duchy of Anjou, a historical county, and later Duchy, in France ** Angevin (language), the traditional langue d'oïl spoken in Anjou ** Counts and Dukes of Anjou *House of Ingelger, a Fra ...
was still viable in some eyes. The battle is also famous for the wooden bucket that the Modenese took as spoils from the Bolognesi. Though it is not mentioned by Griffoni, the unusual booty was venerated in Modena in remembrance of the victory. The history of the bucket was told in
Alessandro Tassoni Alessandro Tassoni (28 September 156525 April 1635) was an Italian poet and writer, from Modena, best known as the author of the mock-heroic poem ''La secchia rapita'' (''The Rape of the Pail'', or ''The stolen bucket''). Life He was born in M ...
's satirical poem ''
La secchia rapita ''La Secchia Rapita'' (The kidnapped bucket) is a mock-heroic epic poem by Alessandro Tassoni, first published in 1622. Later successful mock-heroic works in French and English were written on the same plan. Background The invention of the heroi- ...
'' (1614–15, published in Paris, 1622). It was still seen in the basement of the
Torre della Ghirlandina The Torre della Ghirlandina or simply Ghirlandina is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Modena, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Standing at 86.12 metres, the tower is the traditional symbol of Modena, being visible from all directions outside the ...
in 1911.''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 1911, ''s.v.'' "Modena", column 2.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zappolino, Battle of Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines 1325 in Europe 1320s in the Holy Roman Empire 14th century in Italy Conflicts in 1325 History of Modena
Zappolino Valsamoggia (Bolognese dialect, Bolognese: ) is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It was created on 1 January 2014 after the merger of the former communes of Bazzano, Valsamoggia, Bazzano (the current town h ...