A braking device for controlled lowering of branches, trunk pieces or suspended loads, comprising: - a braking unit; - a control unit for controlling the action of said braking unit, said braking unit comprising: - a frame having a first end (L 1) and a second end (L 2) opposite to said first end (L 1), and having fastening means for blocking said frame to a fixed support; - one or more rope drums rotatably connected to said first and second ends (L 1, L 2) of said frame by means of corresponding coaxial shafts to said one or more rope drums; characterized by said braking device comprising: - one or more braking means connected to said frame and able to control the rotation motion of at least one of said rope drums and/or of at least one of said coaxial shafts about its axis during the controlled lowering of suspended loads, preferably branches or trunk pieces during tree pruning or tree cutting operations, said one or more rope drums around which one or more turns of a rope are wound, - said rope having a first end secured to the suspended load to be lowered, and a second end left free or constrained to a fixed support or to the ground, - each one of said one or more rope drums having a surface which prevents slipping of said rope on said surface when said one or more rope drums rotate about their axis as a result of the controlled lowering of the suspended load to be lowered. - a braking unit; - a control unit for controlling the action of said braking unit, said braking unit comprising: - a frame having a first end (L 1) and a second end (L 2) opposite to said first end (L 1), and having fastening means for blocking said frame to a fixed support; - one or more rope drums rotatably connected to said first and second ends (L 1, L 2) of said frame by means of corresponding coaxial shafts to said one or more rope drums; characterized by said braking device comprising: - one or more braking means connected to said frame and able to control the rotation motion of at least one of said rope drums and/or of at least one of said coaxial shafts about its axis during the controlled lowering of suspended loads, preferably branches or trunk pieces during tree pruning or tree cutting operations, - a frame having a first end (L 1) and a second end (L 2) opposite to said first end (L 1), and having fastening means for blocking said frame to a fixed support; - one or more rope drums rotatably connected to said first and second ends (L 1, L 2) of said frame by means of corresponding coaxial shafts to said one or more rope drums; characterized by said braking device comprising: - one or more braking means connected to said frame and able to control the rotation motion of at least one of said rope drums and/or of at least one of said coaxial shafts about its axis during the controlled lowering of suspended loads, preferably branches or trunk pieces during tree pruning or tree cutting operations, said one or more rope drums around which one or more turns of a rope are wound, - said rope having a first end secured to the suspended load to be lowered, and a second end left free or constrained to a fixed support or to the ground, - each one of said one or more rope drums having a surface which prevents slipping of said rope on said surface when said one or more rope drums rotate about their axis as a result of the controlled lowering of the suspended load to be lowered. - said rope having a first end secured to the suspended load to be lowered, and a second end left free or constrained to a fixed support or to the ground, - each one of said one or more rope drums having a surface which prevents slipping of said rope on said surface when said one or more rope drums rotate about their axis as a result of the controlled lowering of the suspended load to be lowered.