The Patresi wreck is located at the north-western end of the island of Elba, currently the lighthouse of Punta Polveraia , an important signaling point for maritime navigation, perhaps even in ancient times a fundamental point of reference in the routes to and from Corsica and the northern basin of the Mediterranean; a confirmation can derive from the observation that this point corresponds to the intermediate between Populonia and Corsica, and can therefore be identified with the one to which Strabo evidently refers when he states that the Elba is placed at equal distance from the two locations. The recognition of the importance of this stretch of coast also brings new light to the conspicuous finds of Etruscan-Corinthian pottery of vulcent production in the Madonna del Monte immediately behind it, an extremely favorable sighting point.
It is possible to observe various artifacts found with the wreck at the Civic Archaeological Museum of Linguella Portoferraio
The findings that took place at the Patresi wreck
From the waters in front of Patresi (2 km from Sant’Andrea ) comes a body amphora elongated ovoid with ring handles on the shoulder, comparable with Phoenician and Punic types of the 7th-6th century BC and an Etruscan one that can be inserted in type 4 of the Py classification and datable towards the end of the 6th century BC; there is only vague information of a similar discovery, also accompanied by fragments of bucchero. Fragments pertaining to a Dressel, a Dressel, a Dressel and an Africana II, confirm the frequentation of the area even in Roman times.