CeDiAS

The archaeological studies have made it possible to reconstruct the various building phases of the monastery and surmise the economic commitment demanded by each of them. Straight after the establishment of the monastery, during the 12th century the pre-existing church was extended, using beautiful squared stones placed in accordance with construction models typical of the Pisan Romanesque by workers heading from the same city context. The following century saw the completion of the cloister circuit by resorting to less sophisticated and costly late Romanesque techniques. The latest interventions, such as closing down the cemetery corridor between church and cloister, were carried out between fourteenth and fifteenth centuries through rougher building techniques and reused materials, a pointer to a tendency to save.

All around the church, excavations have uncovered several burials dating between the 11th and 14th centuries, the vestiges of which have painted a picture of the resident population and the funeral rituals of that age.
Tombs of pilgrims, who arrived through the road flanking the monastery and going up towards the castle, were also found. They testified to a constant flow of people and goods in the area until the end of the 12th century. In the archaeological area, we can discern the masonry tomb structures dating from different periods, even though the bulk of the deceased were buried in pits dug into the ground.
Based on the data collected, the monastic complex and the cemetery area were abandoned between the 15th and late 16th centuries respectively.