LEGO Minitalia was a theme produced and available only in Italy and was available from 1970 to 1976. Minitalia was a licensee of LEGO similar to how Samsonite was here in the US and was created becuase the Italian Parliment restricted the import of LEGO so LEGO responded with their own Italian manufacturing subsidiary, LEGO Minitalia.. Minitalia consited of 21 sets in all.
1970 LEGO Sets
1970 marked a period of transition and consolidation for LEGO. The company began reclaiming U.S. market rights from Samsonite following founder Jesse Shwayder’s death, leading to full control by 1973. In Italy, LEGO responded to import restrictions by launching Minitalia, a localized line produced from 1970 to 1975. The long-running Town Plan theme was discontinued as LEGO moved toward standardized scale and unified play systems. While largely a structural year, these shifts laid the groundwork for the innovations of the mid-1970s.