For a number of years, LEGO® Ideas has offered fan designers the chance to have their designs turned into sets if enough people choose to back them. More recently this has evolved to also give budding LEGO Designers the opportunity to create smaller sets which could become promotional GWP sets. Although the way these sets are chosen is a little different, they still showcase some of the interesting ideas from fans. Last year, LEGO Ideas ran a challenge to create a STEM-inspired build which would become a GWP set and the winning design has become the set I’ll be taking a look at today. Here’s a look at the LEGO Ideas Tribute to Galileo Galilei.
Promotion Details
Free Set: 40595: Tribute to Galileo Galilei | Pieces: 307 | Minifigures: Galileo Galilei | Spend Limit: £130/$130/130€ | Duration: Nov 1st – 16th | Availability: Online & In-store
As mentioned, LEGO Ideas has been running challenges to create fan-designed sets beyond the usual retail releases. These have resulted in past fan projects getting a second chance to become a set in partnership with US retailer Target or in the case of this set, a smaller design becoming a promotional set. In 2022, a LEGO Ideas challenge asked fan builders to create a set inspired by STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). The design by Firecracker_ aka Jess received the most votes and has been transformed into the set, Tribute to Galileo Galilei.
Galileo was a brilliant Italian astronomer, born in Italy in the 1500s. He is best known for his observations of space and the creation of a powerful telescope to see further beyond the stars. His discoveries and fascination with space are shown in the design of the set, which doesn’t stray too far from the fan design. It simply features an angular base which is topped by three wall panels. This forms a slice of Galileo’s workshop. Those panels feature a bookshelf on the left, an open window on the right and the central panel features a stickered tile showing the tower of Pisa. Another sticker is used on the nameplate found on the base of the set.
The workshop has a Renaissance feel to it, with sandy-coloured walls and wooden furniture. There are also other details connected to Galileo’s observation of space, including a telescope pointing out of the window section and dead centre in the room, a tiny model of the Sun with the Earth rotating around it. This can be physically moved thanks to a trio of splat gears in the base of the set, which causes it to move.
It wouldn’t be a tribute to Galileo without featuring the man himself. The minifigure is pretty basic, with the head, hair and beard all being used in other sets. I can’t place the torso, but it’s merely a grey shirt, so even if it is exclusive, it’s not super exciting. I suppose you are limited by the appearance of the real people, but I think a better torso could have been created for him. This isn’t the first time Galileo has been portrayed in minifigure form. Way back in 2011, the LEGO Group partnered with NASA to send a trio of special minifigures into space. One of these minifigures was styled after Galileo and was milled from aluminium. It was then placed onboard the Atlas V rocket which was sent to study Jupiter.
This isn’t the first time a real person has inspired a LEGO set, there have been several similar Tribute sets released. These have included sets featuring Hans Christian Andersen, Jane Goodall, Amelia Earhart and Gustave Eiffel. (there’s also a set inspired by works of Charles Dicken but it doesn’t feature the author) Each set has its unique style but they all feature minifigures of the historical person and a small scene inspired by their field of expertise.
Overall
It’s another interesting set, but one which may have limited appeal. Saying that, it’s often surprising what can capture the attention of LEGO fans, especially as the set could have appeal beyond the usual fanbase. It’s also nice to see the final design of the set, stays mostly faithful to the fan design, even down to the rotating planets. It certainly links nicely to other similar ‘Tribute’ GWP sets. It’s just not as exciting as some other GWP sets. The LEGO Ideas Tribute to Galileo Galilei set will be available from November 1st, with a spend requirement of £130/$130/130€ or more on any LEGO product.
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The LEGO Group provided this set for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
