Since 2022, I have set out to recreate all of Imperial Rome (circa mid-4th Century CE) in LEGO bricks. The project will take place so in phases over the next several years. Phase I was completed in March 2022 and is currently touring the U.S., while Phase II is underway.

I'm Rocco Buttliere, and after acquiring a degree in architecture, I turned my lifelong love of building bricks into a full-time career as a visual artist.

Since 2009, My work has expanded to more than 50 1:650 scale works depicting various landmarks and landscapes globally.

Projects in recent years include large-scale diorama commissions and equally ambitious personal projects.

I made the first and only contiguous brick-built diorama of an entire sovereign country, Vatican City!

Since 2015, I have exhibited my body of work at 70+ BrickUniverse events across the U.S.

These exhibitions and the connection the bricks make with the public far exceed that of other contemporary art media!

But the next step – exhibiting my work in museums and galleries – will require a centerpiece!

The goal is to design and build a 1:650 scale diorama depicting all of Ancient Rome, circa mid-4th Century CE. So let's explore how to build ancient Rome.