The hamlet of Cavoli is a modest cluster of houses built near the beautiful granite beach, formed over millennia by the residues of granite, the stone that makes up the entire western sector of Elba.

From the ancient quarries on the slopes above, artifacts of considerable size were already being extracted in Roman times, mainly columns, given the strength of the granite stone. Historians tell us that some of the columns of the Pantheon, numerous Roman basilicas, and many of the columns of Pisa’s cathedral came from Elba.

From the ancient quarries of the Roman era (1st–2nd century A.D.) and the Pisan era (12th century), numerous remains are still scattered across the territory today, bearing witness to the hard work of slaves and stonecutters throughout the ages. A medium-sized granite column, spotted and recovered after a strong sea storm, can now be seen in the small garden next to the building known as l’Arsenale, perhaps once intended as a shelter for boats.

In the last century, the few inhabitants of the hamlet were mainly engaged in granite working, as well as tending the vineyards created on the terraces scattered across the wide slope descending towards the crystal-clear sea.