Italian media helps LEGO Ideas landmark hit 10K in near-record time

A LEGO model of a Sicilian landmark has rocketed to 10,000 votes on LEGO Ideas in just one week, all thanks to support from Italian media.

Here’s a lesson in reaching the review stage on LEGO Ideas: get the weight of your local and national media behind you. That’s exactly what aspiring fan designer Giovanni Mirulla did for his build of U Liotru, the ‘elephant fountain’ located in the Sicilian city of Catania, and it’s meant the project has passed 10,000 votes within a week of being submitted to the crowdsourcing platform.

“The set is a great choice for LEGO collectors who are passionate about Italian history and culture, as well as for residents of Catania, city of the Sicily region, who want to have a piece of their favourite city in their LEGO collection,” Mirulla wrote on the project page. The build recreates every aspect of the real-world landmark, from its ornate base and obelisk to its iconic basalt elephant.

The fountain is the source of various legends – including one that reckons the elephant was forged from the lava of Mount Etna by a mischievous magician – but mostly stands as a symbol of good luck for Catania. It’s also been the city’s official symbol since 1239, so there’s some real history attached to it – which may explain why it’s enjoyed such a groundswell of support.

“I’m glad many liked the idea and it got to everyone in a short time,” Mirulla added in the comments, citing the influence of Italian media including La Sicilia and Meridio News. “Let’s hope for the production of the set, but regardless I hope it was a good showcase to relaunch Sicily, not just Catania!”

The LEGO Ideas review board must now decide – as part of the first 2023 review – whether to produce U Liotru as an official LEGO set. But even with its raucous support, the LEGO Group may ultimately deem that the project is just a little too obscure (or region-specific) to succeed in global markets. We’ll find out for sure later this year. For now, here’s a round-up of every LEGO Ideas project in this review.

Every LEGO Ideas project in the first 2023 review

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