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FOR VISITORS:

  • On Friday, October 31, the museum site at the Conti Guidi’s Castle will close at 6.00 p.m. for the set-up of the evening event. The ticket office will close at 5.15 p.m.

Archives: Opera

Un’opera al museo

Three-speed gearbox

Fausto Colombo

1983

The model consists of three selectable gear ratios. A lantern gear in the shape of a truncated cone engages with three toothed wheels of different diameters. It is this lantern pinion, operated by a crank, that transmits motion to the three wheels. These wheels rotate at different speeds, corresponding to the time taken to complete a full turn. The device, as schematized in the model, could be applied to various types of machinery.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Anatomy of machines
Material
Carved Swiss pine wood
Measures
Width: 75 cm, Length: 75 cm, Depth: 75 cm
Storage location
Palazzina Uzielli
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Atlanticus, f. 77 v
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Palazzina Uzielli, second floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/Codex-atlanticus/0077-v/

Related exhibits

Chain element

Three-speed gearbox

1991
Bevel and spur gear speed changer

Three-speed gearbox

1952, 1983
Jack

Three-speed gearbox

1952
Worm screw on rack

Three-speed gearbox

1983
Rack and pinion

Three-speed gearbox

1983
Carro a rulli

Three-speed gearbox

1983
Tutte le opere

Last update: 29 September 2025, 11:35

Battipalo

Made by
IBM Italia

1952

II modello rappresenta una macchina per la palificazione che può trovare impiego sia nella costruzione di argini che nell’edificazione di fondamenta di edifici, nonché per la pavimentazione di conche idrauliche.
È composta da un telaio verticale con argano per il sollevamento del peso battente. Il peso è munito sulla testata di un congegno di presa costituito da due balestre mobili piegate in alto a forma di “S” che si fronteggiano e si accostano, mentre in basso sono tenute divaricate in modo che il tutto formi una “M”. Un cuneo a coda di rondine rovesciata, fissato alla corda dell’argano e sostenuto da una traversa munita di alette laterali che scorrendo fanno da guida, viene fatto velocemente discendere fino ad incastrarsi nel vuoto centrale della “M” che aprendosi lo lascia passare e poi si richiude sulle sue sporgenze laterali. Con l’azione dell’argano il peso viene sollevato in alto fino a che le due balestre della “M” non sono intercettate da due sporgenze laterali interne del telaio che le fanno restringere in basso ed aprire in alto, con la conseguente liberazione del peso e la sua caduta sulla testa del sottostante palo che viene così obbligato ad infiggersi nel terreno. La manovra, semplice e relativamente faticosa, può essere ripetuta celermente fino a conficcare il palo alla profondità voluta.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Modello
Collection
Machines for transforming the territory
Material
Legno intagliato dipinto, corda, ferro, rame
Measures
Larghezza: 200 cm, Lunghezza: 50 cm; Profondità: 41 cm.
Storage location
Counts Guidi’s castle
Relationship with the original work
Derivazione: Leonardo da Vinci, Codice Atlantico, f. 784 r
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Castello dei conti Guidi, pianterreno
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/sfoglia/codice-atlantico/0784-r/

Related exhibits

Excavating machine

Battipalo

1952
Odometro

Battipalo

1952
Tutte le opere

Gold beater

Made by
Università di Firenze, Facoltà di Ingegneria, Dipartimento di Meccanica e Tecnologie industriali

2003

Leonardo proposed different solutions for automating the process of beating precious metals, or in other words, the work that the gold-beater carried out manually in his workshop to reduce gold and silver down to very thin sheets, which would then be used for producing threads of precious metals, or for gilding frames, or for use in paintings.

One of his most remarkable designs was the mechanical gold-beater. The device was set into operation by turning a driving wheel capable of simultaneously actuating a series of synchronized devices and automated mechanisms, made up of pulleys, toothed wheels, and counterweights. The metal to be processed moved along at the base of the gold-beating machine, where it was beaten by a mallet actuated by a device connected with the upper part of the machine.
Leonardo’s intentions were probably to make use of the gold-beating machine in the production of auroseric threads, obtained by wrapping fine strips of silver or gold around a silk thread.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Textile machinery
Material
Wood, iron, leather, rope, lead, and gold leaf.
Measures
Width: 123 cm, Length: 250 cm; Depth: 140 cm.
Storage location
Palazzina Uzielli
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Atlanticus, f. 29 r
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Palazzina Uzielli, first floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/Codex-atlanticus/0029-r/

Related exhibits

Stop device for automatic silk thread doubling mechanism

Gold beater

2003
Crank-operated thread-twisting machine

Gold beater

1969
Four-spindle continuous spinning machine

Gold beater

2004
Automatic weaving loom

Gold beater

1954
Tutte le opere

Last update: 19 June 2025, 14:32

Lower limbs in kneeling position

Paola Salvi, Made by
Moreno Vezzoli

2016

Leonardo analyzed the lower limbs for their power, in view of their possible propulsive energy for operating his machines. The two wax models in the display case represent the lower right limb in kneeling position, that is, with the knee and the tip of the foot resting on the ground. Just as in Leonardo’s drawing, which you can view on the longest wall of the room, the two sculptures highlight two different levels of dissection: one shows the conformation of the surface musculature, while the other depicts the bones and deeper connections between muscles.

Leonardo was interested in the muscles that produce flexions: of the leg, on the thigh; of the foot, on the leg; and of the tip of the foot, on the metatarsal section. In particular, he analyzed the rotary action of the sartorius, an elongated, ribbon-like muscle that joins the hip bone to the upper end of the tibia. In order to represent the muscles, often the artist made use of a particular artifice: these transform into taut cords stretched between one bone intersection and another, thus explaining the application of the lines of force during contraction.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Anatomy
Material
Wax sculpture
Storage location
Palazzina Uzielli
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Windsor Collection, f. RL19037 r
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Palazzina Uzielli, second floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/anatomical-drawings/0081-r/

Related exhibits

Situs viscerum in a female body

Lower limbs in kneeling position

2016
Studies of the joints of the foot

Lower limbs in kneeling position

2016
Studies of the upper limb in pronation-supination

Lower limbs in kneeling position

2016
Studies of the cranium

Lower limbs in kneeling position

2016
Studies of the upper limb

Lower limbs in kneeling position

2016
Tutte le opere

Last update: 14 October 2025, 10:52

Lightweight winch

Ladislao Reti, Federico Antonello, Nino Terreni

1964

Conceived by Brunelleschi for the construction works for the Florence Cathedral dome, the lightweight winch was utilized for hoisting modest loads. It could lift a 1200 kg weight at a speed of 3 meters per second. The machine is powered by four men who, by moving the two horizontal rods, turn a large toothed wheel meshing with a vertical wheel equipped with innovative friction-reducing cylindrical bearings. The lifting ropes wrap around the central drum, one supporting the load, the other supporting the counterweight. Thanks to the pulley fitted into the horizontal wheel, the lifting ropes can run upward without obstructing the movement of the bars.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Construction site machinery
Material
Carved wood, iron, cotton ropes, stone
Measures
Width: 101 cm, Length: 72 cm, Depth: 43.5 cm
Storage location
Palazzina Uzielli
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Atlanticus, f. 105v
Inventory number
N° scheda OA: 00000028
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Palazzina Uzielli, first floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/Codex-atlanticus/0105-v/

Related exhibits

Three-speed winch

Lightweight winch

1964
Swivel crane

Lightweight winch

1966
Rotating central-fulcrum crane for the cathedral lantern

Lightweight winch

2004
Counterweighted swivel crane

Lightweight winch

1987
Device for raising poles or posts

Lightweight winch

1978
The Arts in Florence

Lightweight winch
Tutte le opere

Last update: 17 September 2025, 12:11

Three-speed winch

Ladislao Reti, Nino Terreni, Federico Antonello

1964

Designed by Filippo Brunelleschi around 1420, this winch was used in the construction works for the dome of the Florence Cathedral, for hoisting and lowering very heavy loads.

The machine is composed of a wooden structure anchored to the ground. It is powered by a pair of oxen turning in a circle, actuating a moving shaft with an endless screw device connected to two horizontal wheels. By means of the gears connected to the endless screw, it was possible to change the direction of the winch’s rotation, thus causing the load to rise or lower, without having to detach the oxen from the yoke. Another feature of the machine is the presence of three drums, or cylindrical axes, on which the cords for raising or lowering the loads wrap and unwrap. Each has a different diameter, allowing the winch to work with different forces and at different speeds depending on the load to be handled.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Construction site machinery
Material
Carved and turned wood, cotton cords, brass, stone, and copper
Measures
Width: 96 cm, Length: 86.5 cm, Depth: 57.7 cm.
Storage location
Palazzina Uzielli
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Atlanticus, f. 1083 v
Inventory number
Record no. OA: 00000027
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Palazzina Uzielli, first floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/Codex-atlanticus/1083-v/

Related exhibits

Counterweighted swivel crane

Three-speed winch

1987
Device for raising poles or posts

Three-speed winch

1978
The Arts in Florence

Three-speed winch
Lightweight winch

Three-speed winch

1964
Swivel crane

Three-speed winch

1966
Rotating central-fulcrum crane for the cathedral lantern

Three-speed winch

2004
Tutte le opere

Last update: 19 June 2025, 12:05

Aerial screw

Made by
Scuola di Costruzioni ed Esperienze Aeronautiche di Guidonia

1938

Made by the Scuola di Costruzioni ed Esperienze Aeronautiche at Guidonia and donated to the Museum in 1938, the aerial screw is one of Leonardo’s best known designs, long interpreted as the earliest anticipation of the modern helicopter.

The screw is made of a spiral-shaped linen canvas arranged around a vertical mast, inserted onto a circular platform. By running on the platform and pushing the horizontal bars connected to a central mast, a number of men can operate this screw.
This project is part of the study of the physical and chemical characteristics of air: Leonardo reached the conclusion that air can be compressed and that it has its own material thickness. He therefore retained that a screw-shaped device, if rapidly rotated, could rise in flight by screwing itself into the thickness of the air, in exactly the same manner a common screw can screw into another material.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Flight studies
Material
Wood, iron
Measures
Width: 135 cm, Length: 49 cm, Depth: 27 cm.
Storage location
Counts Guidi’s castle
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Manuscript B (France), f. 83 v
Inventory number
Record n. OA: 00000006
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Counts Guidi's castle, ground floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/manuscript-b-in-the-Institut-de-France/0083-v/

Related exhibits

Large jointed wing

Aerial screw

1983
Sfera volante

Aerial screw

2010
Studio di ala battente

Aerial screw

1929
Flying machine

Aerial screw

1929
Tutte le opere

Last update: 24 June 2025, 09:12

The Chiaravalle tower clock

Luigi Boldetti

1975

During his stay in Milan, Leonardo devoted many drawings to the study of sophisticated mechanisms for the planetary clock at the nearby abbey of Chiaravalle.

In this model, the moving organ is located inside a wooden structure, where a weight lowers, causing a drum to turn, setting into motion a series of shafts and toothed wheels that carry out ordered sequences of movements.
The internal mechanisms correspond to three clock faces on the outer structure: two smaller ones, for counting the minutes and hours; while on the largest, with its 12 zodiacal divisions for the year, dedicated moving hands show the positions of the sun and moon and the lunar phases, as well as other astrological and astronomical indications.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Clocks
Material
Wood carving, stone, iron, metal sheet
Measures
Width: 81.5 cm, Length: 75 cm; Depth: 52.7 cm.
Storage location
Palazzina Uzielli
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Atlanticus, f. 1111v
Inventory number
Record no. OA: 00000008
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Palazzina Uzielli, first floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/Codex-atlanticus/1111-v/

Related exhibits

Clock mechanism

The Chiaravalle tower clock

1952
Anchor Escapement for Clock

The Chiaravalle tower clock

1963
Tutte le opere

Last update: 19 June 2025, 14:46

Large jointed wing

Fausto Colombo, Made by
IBM Italia, Giovanni Sacchi

1983

The huge jointed wing hanging in the center of the Museum gallery is taken from some drawings in the Codex Atlanticus, even though these drawings have not made possible a complete interpretation of the machine. This project bears witness to a phase of study when Leonardo was attempting to combine gliding flight with broad movable components controlled by human force using a system of control lines.

After having abandoned his studies for flight by means of beating wings, Leonardo began experimenting with gliding flight and designed a machine blending the two systems together, one that could exploit air currents, like a glider. The wings of the machine, similar in form to those of bats or large birds, are made up of thin ribbings of reeds, held together by cords.
In imitation of the anatomy of birds, the internal sectors of the wings are fixed and rigid, to support the weight, while those on the outside are movable and flexible, having the purpose of guiding the direction. The pilot is supported in vertical position at the center of the device by a harness, where he uses his weight to adjust the machine’s equilibrium. Through a simple system of control lines and pulleys the pilot can determine flight direction.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Flight studies
Material
Carved wood, bamboo cane, hemp ropes, canvas, leather
Measures
Wingspan: 12 m x 3.60 m
Storage location
Counts Guidi’s castle
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Codex on the Flight of Birds, f. 15 v and 8 r
Inventory number
Record n. OA: 00000049
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Counts Guidi's castle, ground floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/codice-sul-volo-degli-uccelli/0008-r/

Related exhibits

Aerial screw

Large jointed wing

1938
Sfera volante

Large jointed wing

2010
Studio di ala battente

Large jointed wing

1929
Flying machine

Large jointed wing

1929
Tutte le opere

Last update: 24 June 2025, 09:06

Counterweighted swivel crane

Made by
Università di Firenze, Facoltà di Architettura

1987

This machine designed by Filippo Brunelleschi represents an important evolution with respect to the medieval stella-type crane. It was used to accurately place heavy marble blocks destined for the construction of the lantern of the Florence Cathedral’s dome. At over 20 meters high, the crane was operated by no fewer than four teams of workers.

One team stood on the ground and was responsible for maneuvering a long oblique beam (rudder) to cause the crane to swivel, up to 360°. Two more teams powered the endless screws to cause the load and counterweight to move simultaneously in opposite directions, always keeping the machine in balance, while the last team lifted and lowered the load by turning a vertical screw.

Technical informations

Type of exhibit
Model
Collection
Construction site machinery
Material
Carved wood, iron, and pietra serena stone
Measures
Width: 103 cm, Length: 59 cm; Depth: 55 cm.
Storage location
Palazzina Uzielli
Relationship with the original work
Source: Leonardo da Vinci, Codex Atlanticus, f. 965r
Inventory number
Object Record No: 00000026
Location
Museo Leonardiano, Palazzina Uzielli, first floor
Digital archive
https://www.leonardodigitale.com/en/browse/Codex-atlanticus/0965-r/

Related exhibits

Lightweight winch

Counterweighted swivel crane

1964
Rotating central-fulcrum crane for the cathedral lantern

Counterweighted swivel crane

2004
Three-speed winch

Counterweighted swivel crane

1964
Device for raising poles or posts

Counterweighted swivel crane

1978
Swivel crane

Counterweighted swivel crane

1966
The Arts in Florence

Counterweighted swivel crane
Tutte le opere

Last update: 19 September 2025, 11:53

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