Abstract: A wrapping apparatus employing plastic stretching film for items to be wrapped has entry lines and exit lines, which define a horizontal feeding line, in the proximity of a wrapping station (W) provided with a drive ring apt to bring into rotation a reel of the stretching film around the feeding line, and a holding gripper apt to temporarily hold an initial edge of said film in a starting step of the rotation of said reel. A temporary retaining device of said film provided with an elongated hollow member arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof parallel to the feeding line and having an inner side.