In 1504 Michelangelo completed his statue of David in the courtyard of the Opera del Duomo in Florence. The colossal sculpture, more than 12 feet tall and weighting some 22 thousand pounds, was installed in front of the Palazzo dei Signori that same year.

This delicate operation was performed by Cronaca, assisted by Michelangelo himself, Antonio da Sangallo, Baccio d'Agnolo, and Bernardo della Cecca. The David was transported inside a timber scaffolding rolled on wood cylinders. This solution differs from the one suggested in a drawing by Francesco di Giorgio, which shows a statue being moved by means of a rack-and-pinion winch. To eliminate the effects of vibrations, the marble David was suspended from hinged metal bars inside the scaffolding.

Leonardo's drawings on similar topics give an idea of some of these systems.