What’s a vacation without a trip to a LEGO Store? That’s what we thought when my family and I made the trip to Rome a few weeks ago. So let me share with you a few of my observations and random babblings from our trip as an American LEGO fan traveling abroad.

“There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish, it was so fragile [just like an unglued LEGO build].” — Marcus Aurelius, ‘Gladiator’, probably.

When In Rome

We had actually booked this trip for the summer of 2020, but obviously, that didn’t happen. So we kept an eye on things, trying not to get our hopes up. Then we saw an opportunity, had enough air miles and time off, and booked it. Carpe diem, and all that. Italy, here we come!

“Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?” — Maximus, ‘Gladiator’.

When we arrived, of course we were entertained! That’s why we keep coming back. The food, the sites, the history, and of course, the food. Although my wife and I had been to Rome before, our son had not. And since he’s a Classics major, we figured that he would come in handy translating all of those inscriptions.

He had fun translating a big red sign… apparently “LEGO” in Latin translates to “I put together”or “I assemble” — how fitting!

A Store Full of Bricks

“You should see the Colosseum Spaniard. Fifty-thousand Romans watching every movement of your sword, willing you to make that killer blow. The silence before you strike and the noise afterwards. It rises. It rises up like a storm. As if you were the thunder god himself.” — Proximo, ‘Gladiator’.

Having just toured the Colosseum in person, seeing the official LEGO version made from more than 9,000 pieces on display generated a newfound appreciation of the model’s architectural details. But it was the first time I thought that maybe it wasn’t quite big enough considering the epic scale of the real thing.

At the other end of the Italian engineering-meets-art spectrum, we found the Ferrari Daytona SP3. Imagine THAT doing donuts in the Colosseum? It would have really gotten the crowd going!

Any LEGO Store worth its salt, especially in the middle of a world city, must have a mosaic of a local attraction. Although I’m partial to the Pantheon, personally, the Trevi Fountain is pretty nice, too. I was kinda surprised they didn’t have a place to toss LEGO coins to ensure a return to the LEGO Store.

Parvus Urbs Plastic

We didn’t have that much time in the LEGO store, but I noticed that they had the same products on the shelf that we had back home. How’s that for consistency!? (Luck that we didn’t need to carry home the Colosseum on the plane!)

Coincidentally while we were there, Rocco Buttliere premiered his SPQR Phase I project. It’s a stunning rendition of a section of Ancient Rome in all its glory. Having just walked through some of those sites and wandered the streets, it’s amazing how recognizable the landmarks still are two thousand years later. But that deserves its own article (and it is on the way!).

Hmmm… SPQR must mean “Serious Part Quantities Required.” I’ll have to ask my son to translate…

Do you like the Gladiator movies? Let us know in the comments below!

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