        <div><em>“Hey, recall that itty-bitty Italian hamlet we stumbled upon a few summers back?”</em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>THE IDEA</em></strong></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><u>DESCRIPTION</u><span style="color: black;">:</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">Borgo Bricco embodies the essence of a typical Italian town from the Thirteenth Century. Optimism abounds, and urban centers thrive with great prosperity. The wealthiest families showcase their affluence by constructing towers that render the city's skyline distinct, much like today's skyscrapers!</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">If you have ever visited one of these villages, you will have noticed that the houses are perched on top of each other, the streets are narrow and winding, and at every corner, you breathe a timeless air. Borgo Bricco aims to evoke these sensations.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><u>MODULARITY</u><span style="color: black;">:</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">The defining feature of this project, beyond simply reproducing a small historic village, is the ability to create almost infinite game scenarios by simply rotating, opening, and combining its different parts together without the need for dismantling the model.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><u>HISTORICAL ACCURACY</u><span style="color: black;">:</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">Ensuring the accuracy of reproduction was paramount. To achieve this, I conducted extensive research in historical and architectural fields to identify typologies that, when combined, would enhance the overall effectiveness.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>THE BUILD</em></strong></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><u>THE DESIGN PROCESS</u><span style="color: black;">:</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">To create Borgo Bricco, numerous afternoons were dedicated to crafting the six modular platforms, designed to flawlessly interconnect and maximize the variety of scenes achievable.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">Following this, the construction of the buildings commenced, incorporating architectural elements inspired by various regions.</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">During the design and construction phases, meticulous attention was given to ensuring that each element, in its diverse configurations, seamlessly integrated without any clashes.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">This necessitated numerous tests across ten compositional variations, ensuring that every aspect could be harmoniously juxtaposed to avoid any collisions. This rigorous process of refinement spanned several days.</span></div><div><br></div><div><em>below is a photo of a composition test with real bricks</em></div><div><br></div><div><img src="https://ideascdn.lego.com/media/generate/lego_ci/95ec2516-decc-4396-a111-5243b86309a3/resize:1200:675/webp"></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><u>BORGO BRICCO COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING BUILDINGS</u>:</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">MODULE 01: (blue plate)</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">• The palace with the tower, owned by the Lombard family, reflects the Asti “casana” which refers to its association with medieval banking institutions. In this instance, it is distinguished by the presence of Ghibelline battlements.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">• The Locksmith's workshop: Merchants and bankers handled significant amounts of wealth and valuable goods. Therefore, the locksmith's shop in a 13th-century Italian city was essential for adequately protecting these assets.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>MODULE 02: (orange plate)</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">• The palace with a tower belonged to the merchants' family of Umbrian or Tuscan type, featuring Guelph battlements.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">• The gate tower: It is commonly assumed that every medieval city was protected by a fortified city wall, with numerous access and toll gates connected to it. This setup was because each city functioned as a true Micro-State.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">• The square with porticoed courtyard and public well: In addition to the Cathedral Square, the Municipality Square and the Market or Fair Square, there was the Cistern or Well Square. As today, water was a precious good for public use and the well was controlled and protected by special magistrates.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>MODULE 03: (green plate)</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">• The old palace owned by the Captain of the Commoners, along with its extension (reflecting the intense building activity that could swiftly alter a city's skyline), features a balcony. This balcony served as a platform from which the “Capitano del Popolo” addressed the citizens.</span></div><div><br></div><div><em>below a schematic drawing of some configurations that can be composed</em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><img src="https://ideascdn.lego.com/media/generate/lego_ci/ca488e8b-c575-4e3b-90f5-47e66f0c3272/resize:1200:675/webp"></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>THE PROTAGONISTS</em></strong></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>(NOTE: left to right on the image 6)</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">1:</span><u> The Merchant</u></div><div><span style="color: black;">Just as today, the backbone of the medieval economy was based on trade. Recent studies on accounting books found in historical archives confirm the presence of female merchants as early as the late 13th century. Among the most well-documented examples is female entrepreneurship linked to gold spinning in Venice as early as the 14th century.</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">2: </span><u>The Merchant daughter</u></div><div><span style="color: black;">In the Low Middle Ages, children held immense significance as they symbolized the future, much like today. Moreover, they were very numerous.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">3: </span><u>The Town Guardsman</u></div><div><span style="color: black;">A certain number of soldiers were hired by the medieval municipality to ensure public safety. They are the equivalent of today's police.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">4: </span><u>The Captain of the Commoners</u></div><div><span style="color: black;">The “Capitano del Popolo” was a political figure in local administration in medieval Italy, established primarily to balance the power and authority of noble families, who in turn were under the jurisdiction of the “podestà” (today’s mayor).</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">5: </span><u>The Lombard woman</u></div><div><span style="color: black;">In the Low Middle Ages, spices, jewels, and precious fabrics were coveted luxuries. The rising bourgeoisie took pride in showcasing their newfound wealth through their public appearances.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">6: </span><u>The Lombard man</u></div><div><span style="color: black;">In the Middle Ages, the term 'Lombard' denoted Italian bankers but later evolved into a broader term for financiers. Lombard Street in London, now home to major British banks, derived its name from the Italian bankers who occupied it in the 13th century.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">7: </span><u>The Locksmith</u></div><div><span style="color: black;">Distinct from the blacksmiths' guild, locksmithing was an art involving fine metalworking. Watchmakers and key makers were also part of this guild.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">8: </span><u>The Locksmith son</u></div><div><span style="color: black;">As sometimes still happens today, even in the 13th century the activities of the fathers were often undertaken by their sons.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>BORGO BRICCO BOASTS 7 STRENGTHS</em></strong></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>1: the set can be composed in more than 60 solutions capable of recreating infinite scenes (I personally made 54 of them both with <a href="http://stud.io" target="_blank" style="color: blue;"><u>stud.io</u></a> and with just the bases built with real bricks)<span style="color: black;">.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">2: Some construction techniques are new despite being simple to assemble. This makes the set attractive to both a young audience and an adult audience who appreciates accuracy in reproduction.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">3: If displayed lengthwise the set is able to reproduce a medieval skyline and can be displayed in different configurations on a shelf.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">4: The educational value of the project: Being the faithful representation of a medieval urban reality before the dawn of the Renaissance, it can also be used in schools to present what certain Italian cities must have looked like after the year 1000. In fact, all the secular realities that have shaped the society that we still know today are represented in the Borgo: Credit, Commerce and Craftsmanship.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">5: The set, comprised of only 3 openable and modular baseplates, provides the opportunity for gameplay on each of its 8 sides (4+4 because of the hinge), resulting in a total of 24 playable surfaces.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">6: the model is compatible with numerous medieval sets already produced by Lego.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><span style="color: black;">7: Most of the pieces used are standard and do not require an IP license, which in theory implies a low cost of the set.</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong><em>HERE SOME NUMBERS</em></strong></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">3000 interlocking pieces</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">60 different tested ways of interconnected composition for play and display mode</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">08 minifigs</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">02 chickens</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><u>DIMENSIONS</u><span style="color: black;">:</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><u>NOTE</u><span style="color: black;">: the measurements can vary depending on the composition that each person prefers, but in its most compact configuration (image 13), they are:</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">width&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;studs: 54&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;cm: 43&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;inches: 17</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">length&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;studs: 32&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;cm: 25&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;inches: 10</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></div><div><span style="color: black;">height&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;studs: 44&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;cm: 35&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;inches: 14</span></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><em>Thank you for reading this far. I extend my heartfelt appreciation for your diligence. If you found the project appealing, I hope you will consider supporting it!</em></div><div><em>&nbsp;</em></div><div><em>Giorgio</em></div>
    

BORGO BRICCO: A Shapeshifting XIII-century Puzzle Village

Thank you for supporting

Join the conversation