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| This area, which was the first ever to be excavated (2004–2007), is the core of the entire settlement. Since the completion of the excavation, the remains of a long section of the enclosing wall can now be seen on the eastern edge of the settlement. Also visible are the remains of a building with an apse, which was built against the inside of the wall. It contained a number of rooms. These were part of an extension which also included the construction of an upper storey on top of the already existing parts of the building,
The side of the building faced onto a courtyard which had been dug out of the rock and separated the complex of buildings on the summit from another annex built onto the enclosing wall further south.
The finds recovered from the occupation layers and infills date the construction of the settlement to the 5th/6th century AD and point to its continuous occupation throughout subsequent centuries. The complex of buildings on the summit was continuously maintained and expanded. This lasted until the 11th/12th century, at which point – probably due to its severe deterioration – the church was completely rebuilt while preserving the existing building lines (parts in red). From then on, the church catered to the spiritual needs of travellers and pilgrims and has remained a destination for processions from the surrounding communities to ask for benediction of the fields, year after year, down through the generations.
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the Monte San Martino 
