The Roman site of Le Grotte takes its name from the arches of its imposing substructures and niches visible from the sea. The remains are situated on a small promontory, facing the town of Portoferraio, on the island of Elba (LI), overlooking the gulf and entrance to the natural harbour. The site chosen for the construction of this imposing building was the point at which, at c. 50 m a.s.l., the sloping promontory closing the natural harbour gradually levelled to a substantial plateau of c. 3 hectares. The complex must have been formed by modules of regular “blocks”, which emerged from the surrounding territory as a clearly visible monument emphasising its panoramic position facing the sea. The complex was built in the mid-1st century B.C. and abandoned in the early 1st century A.D., with late antique occupation essentially concentrated between the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. The new excavations begun by Siena University in 2019 have led to a new interpretation of the building’s function, revealing a very complex history and a succession of previously unknown phases. The structure’s primary function seems to have been the collection and storage of Elba’s spring waters. Later, its structures also became places of representation (gardens, halls etc.) and probable places of worship.