During the 2010 campaign work continued on the north slope of the summit area (Area 1), in a zone up against the early medieval ditch and outside of the castle’s curtain wall. Of great interest the earliest evidence relating to a mining tunnel linked to metallurgical activities characterising the first settlement phase (7th century A.D.). The context was cut and “uncovered” by one of the two terraces identified by the north cliff, created during the period of the Frankish village/farm used for the storage of surplus agricultural produce. The subsequent period (end of the 10th-beginning of the 11th century) was attested by a masonry footing on which walls made of perishable materials must have rested. This structure may be interpreted as a fortification closing the mouth of the ditch. With the construction of the masonry castle (mid 11th-first half of the 12th century) the area was abandoned and used for dumping rubbish outside the curtain walls.

In the south-western part of the castle, abutting the western access (Area 11), an early medieval sequence was identified, constituted by a hut dwelling datable to the 9th-10th century obliterating an earlier storage area characterised by the presence of grain pits (8th century). For the phases relating to the 11th-12th century castle a tower was excavated which flanked, on the south side, the gate identified during previous campaigns. The traces relating to the continuation towards the south of the curtain walls were very slight, but its line was reconstructable on the basis of the related collapses. With the final occupation phase (mid 13th century), following a substantial levelling undertaken to raise and even-up the occupation surfaces, the area was transformed into an open space.

In the zone immediately above (Area 15) the investigation of the cult building identified in 2009 continued. As well as determining, on the basis of the walls, the presence of three distinct phases datable to between the second half of the 10th century and the first half of the 12th century, the excavation of the context exposed an exceptional sequence constituted by at least three early medieval timber churches (7th-mid 10th century). Investigation of the cemetery area close to the church, probably to be associated with one of the church’s masonry-built phases, continued.

Lastly, at the foot of the poggio, a new sector was opened (Area 17) with the aim of defining the overall extension of the early medieval settlement. An open space was identified below a succession of levels that may be interpreted as dumps from the building site relating to the construction and rebuilding of the circuit walls (mid 11th- first half of the 13th century). This was crossed by a track that must have led to the summit area during the occupation of the first incastellated settlement (last quarter 10th century-first quarter 11th century). An area of passage, flanked by levels of dumped material, also characterised the phases attributable to the village/farm of 9th-10th century date. The earliest traces found to date in the area are from an occupation context characterised by the presence of post holes, floor levels and a hearth, perhaps relating to the phases preceding the manorial village.