LEGO Medieval Town Square gets stamp of approval from history buff – with a few exceptions

LEGO Icons 10332 Medieval Town Square dives into a period from history – but how accurate are its medieval references?

The majority of people building and displaying 10332 Medieval Town Square probably won’t be historical experts, so the main purpose of the set isn’t to be wholly accurate to the time period. However, many of its contemporary references do hold up to what historians would expect from the time, as noted by online history buff Fake History Hunter, an account dedicated to sniffing out inaccurate historical features in modern media.

“At first sight, it looks awesome and I want to play with it and feel eight years old again,” they start off. “I love the buildings and the way they created thatch roofs.”

They go on to describe many of the features of 10332 Medieval Town Square in detail, from the historically accurate thatched rooves down to the fact that there are both orange and white carrots. In a world before genetically modified carrots, carrots would have ranged in colour, rather than always being orange.

However, one element that was picked up as a historical inaccuracy was the presence of torches. In medieval times, torches would not have been used to light up entire areas, functioning more like a flashlight or your smartphone torch, designed to be used for short periods of time on someone’s person. In fact, in most medieval European cities, street lighting was a rarity. Oil and material for torches were expensive, so people tended to carry a light source with them when moving around at night, rather than bothering to light up an entire street.

Fake History Hunter commended the presence of a female woodworker, something that some people have critiqued about LEGO products in the past.

“Women worked more back then than is often assumed, they took over workplaces when their husbands died, there were even female weapon smiths,” they wrote. “She probably should have covered her hair though.”

They go on to commend at least one woman in the set for being dressed semi-appropriately for the era, complete with a hair covering. Her clothing might not be perfect, but at least she’s not in trousers: “Finally we have a lady in a dress with her hair covered, although it feels a bit post-medieval.”

All in all, 10332 Medieval Town Square seems to stay fairly accurate, with Fake History Hunter commending it for its colour, something that is often missed from representations of medieval life in modern media. Despite a few issues, it’s worth remembering that the LEGO Group tends to go for entertainment and play value over historical accuracy.

For example, when responding to criticism over 21343 Viking Village, the company stated: “Representation in toys is incredibly important and play has a big impact on children. Sets such as this one are designed for play and aren’t meant to be historically correct.” The same logic likely applies to 10332 Medieval Town Square – and the results have been generally well-received by both the Brick Fanatics team and the wider LEGO community.

Check out the full thread of historical details and how they hold up via the embedded tweet below.

NEW MEDIEVAL LEGO SET!!
But is it historically accurate?
Let's take a closer look and be annoying about details, shall we? pic.twitter.com/6OSAjKmpMH

— Fake History Hunter (@fakehistoryhunt) February 8, 2024

10332 Medieval Town Square can be purchased by LEGO Insiders on March 1, before receiving a wider launch on March 4. The LEGO Icons set will be priced at £199.99 / $229.99 / €229. 99 and you can find out more about the upcoming model in our visual tour and gallery here.

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