Manipulator (1) for moving and positioning a piece between a first position (2) and a second position (3) along a predefined path (4), having: a load bearing structure (40) provided with a support element ( 44 ); a mobile arm for gripping the piece (20 ) comprising a driven pin or transferor (14) projecting transversally to said mobile gripping arm (20); - a guide wall (15) supported by said support element (44) having a rear face (15' ') facing towards the support element and an opposite front face (15 ' ), wherein said guide wall ( 15 ) comprises a curved guide groove or cam configured to slidingly engage said driven pin or transferor (14) so that said pin or transferor can follow the curvilinear guide groove or cam (13) for its entire length dragging the mobile arm (20); - an input shaft of the oscillating rotary movement (51) rotatably connected to said support element (44) in a substantially orthogonal manner to the guide wall (15), said shaft defining an axis of rotation (S-S); - an oscillating arm (52) fixed orthogonally to said input shaft of the movement (51), said oscillating arm having a groove (53) radial with respect to the input shaft of the movement (51), said radial groove (53) slidingly engaging said driven pin or transferor (14) so that said driven pin or transferor (14) can travel along the radial groove (53) for its entire length; so that the input shaft of oscillating rotary movement (51) drags in rotation the oscillating arm, said oscillating arm dragging the driven pin or transferor simultaneously along the radial groove and along the guide groove, dragging the mobile arm (20) along said predefined path (4); wherein said manipulator is characterized in that: - the input shaft of the oscillating rotary movement (51) and the oscillating arm (52) are both positioned on the side of the rear face (15' ') of the guide wall (15), and the mobile gripping arm (20) is positioned on the side of the front face (15') of the guide wall (15).