Welcome to Erin Mankie's Cabinet of Curiosity's, a production of I Heart Radio and Grimm

and Mild.

Our world is full of the unexplainable.

And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display,

just waiting for us to explore.

Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosity's.

Wars are not often fought for trivial reasons.

World War I started after the assassination of Archduke France for the Nanna of Austria

Hungary, while World War II officially began after Hitler invaded Poland in 1939.

Wars are messy for both sides, so a cause must be justified.

There wasn't the case, however, when two Italian city-states went head-to-head in 1325.

Their reason was, uh, flimsy.

Nothing more than a drop in a bucket.

Since 1125 medieval Italy had been a battleground between two factions, the Gelfs and the Gibolines.

The Gelfs supported the Pope, while the Gibolines were on the side of the Holy Roman Empire,

both of whom desired to rule over all Christendom.

The Gelfs and the Gibolines fought for over 300 years, during which time things came

to a head between the capital city of Bologna and the municipality of Modena and Northern

Italy.

This region was well-educated and well-off, but the surplus of money and high literacy

rates didn't stop the two sides from fighting.

The future of Christianity was at stake, as was the land between them.

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