Leonardo da Vinci designed a revolving bridge to swing across a river and return to the bank.
His design used a long, lightweight span that could pivot around a vertical support. This allowed the bridge to be moved out of the way for passing boats and then repositioned for people or troops. The concept was intended to be practical, portable, and quick to operate.
The bridge belongs to Leonardo’s extensive military-engineering work, much of which survives in drawings rather than completed construction. It is sometimes confused with his self-supporting bridge, a separate design assembled from interlocking timbers without permanent supports. Leonardo’s revolving bridge was specifically defined by its rotating mechanism.