The Altar Machine in the Church Mother of Gangi (Palermo, Italy). Interpretation of the past uses, scientific investigation and preservation challenge.

Background: The aim of this work was to study the Altar Machine in the Church Mother of Gangi, a little town near Palermo (Italy) regarding the history, the technical manufacture, the constitutive materials and the state of preservation.The Altar Machine was dated back to the second half of the 18th century; it is constituted by carved and painted wood, a complex system of winch and pulleys allows move various statues and parts of the Machine in accordance with the baroque scenography machineries.

Results: The observation and survey of the mechanisms allowed formulate hypothesis on a more ancient mode of operation of the Altar Machine.