What type of machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to raise heavy columns and other loads?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a revolving crane to raise heavy columns and other loads.

Leonardo studied lifting machines in detail and drew cranes that combined a vertical mast, ropes, pulleys, and a rotating mechanism. A revolving crane could turn while carrying a load, allowing workers to move materials through an arc rather than lifting them straight up and lowering them in a fixed position.

Such machines were especially useful for construction, where stone blocks and columns had to be raised, shifted, and accurately placed. Leonardo’s drawings refined existing hoisting ideas rather than creating the basic crane from nothing. His contribution was the systematic study and improvement of mechanisms.

The term revolving crane refers to the crane’s ability to rotate around its supporting structure. It should not be confused with the treadwheel crane, in which workers walked inside a large wheel to provide lifting power. Leonardo also designed cranes with screw-based and counterweight features.