Leonardo’s investigation of machine elements reveals his extraordinary mechanical and engineering expertise. His focus was on mechanisms and gears such as the worm screw, the toothed wheel, the spool, the pulley, and springs, which, when assembled in various ways, could give rise to an almost infinite series of more or less complex machines.

The system of breaking down machines into individual gears for better analysis is also referred to as the “anatomy of machines,” due to its close analogy with the method Leonardo adopted for studying the human body. Leonardo intended to dedicate an entire treatise to machine elements, as emerges from the Madrid Codex I, to analytically highlight the characteristics, the different possible applications, and the performance potential of the individual mechanisms.

In the section dedicated to digital reconstructions, these are paired with the wooden models on display in a comparison between real and virtual, which allows visitors to fully imagine and understand the functioning of the machines. An immersive application using the Oculus virtual reality headset enables visitors to go beyond the real visit experience to “touch,” operate, and even disassemble four gears designed by Leonardo.

Leonardo thoroughly explored the human body, a machine that fascinated him and which he considered far more perfect than any created by man. He wanted to understand its functioning, composition, and the dynamics related to death. The master first approached anatomical studies to better represent the human figure in his art; but his scientific curiosity soon led him to deepen his research, moving from the surface (muscles, nerves, bones) to the study of internal organs.

Leonardo studied the human body throughout his life through direct observation and by practicing dissection. His investigations stemmed from the need to understand the human body for artistic representation, but also from a desire to carry out a true anatomical study.

The refined wax sculptures in the anatomy section of the Museum, created by artists from the Accademia di Brera, faithfully reproduce Leonardo’s anatomical drawings.

Fascinated by all the mechanical elements inside clocks that ensure the transmission of motion, Leonardo showed particular interest in instruments designed to measure time. He conducted a sort of anatomical dissection of these devices, continuously searching for solutions to achieve increasingly sophisticated levels of automation.

As his studies in mechanics progressed, he focused on the escapement mechanism, intuiting that similar devices could also be used for textile manufacturing machines.

In his manuscripts, Leonardo depicted some clocks of his time, such as the planetary clock of the Abbey of Chiaravalle near Milan and Giovanni Dondi’s astrarium for the Visconti Palace in Pavia.

Leonardo devoted great attention to the study of the complex and articulated production cycle of the textile industry, designing machines for twisting and winding thread, for spinning and weaving. His projects are sometimes precise improvements aimed at the partial or complete mechanization of the main phases of the manufacturing cycle, while other times they boldly anticipate the factory system and mass production.

Also interested in the various finishing operations of fabrics, Leonardo designed machines for raising and shearing cloth; the automatic beating machine (battiloro) is an original invention to automate the process of beating precious metals used in the production of gold and silk threads and fabrics.

In 1420, Filippo Brunelleschi began what would become one of the most significant feats of the Italian Renaissance: the construction of the dome of Florence Cathedral.

The hoists and cranes he designed to lift and precisely position enormous weights—reaching nearly one hundred meters above the ground—had a profound influence on the young Leonardo and other artist-engineers of his time, such as Mariano di Iacopo, Francesco di Giorgio, Buonaccorso Ghiberti, and Giuliano da San Gallo. Thanks to them, the memory of these devices has been preserved in their notebooks, ensuring that these innovations—representing a crucial leap forward in construction machinery—would not be forgotten.

Leonardo’s experience at the construction site of Florence Cathedral is presented in the video on display in the room. The short film outlines the historical and artistic context in which this great endeavor took place: 15th-century Florence, where renowned artists such as Brunelleschi were engaged in creating grand works meant to celebrate the prestige of their patrons—often wealthy members of the so-called Arti, the guilds that played a vital role in the city’s extraordinary economic development.