The excavations show that the Early Christian church was founded between the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 6th century A.D. on top of pre-existing Roman structures which have yet to be defined.

Among the most interesting characteristics of the church is the plan which had two apses, one to the east and one to the west. The structure was over 30 m long, the eastern apse enclosed a presbyterial bench which in turn surrounded the altar base. The function of the western apse was less clear. The nave divided it from an entrance, perhaps by a series of arches. Suggestions for its use vary from the cult of reliquaries to baptismal font. The most interesting elements from the site were found inside the western apse: a hoard of six gold and twenty rare silver coins of the Gothic period.

Most of the parallels of Early Christian structures with facing apses come from the Mediterranean, in particular the Iberian peninsula and North Africa.
Use of the church continued beyond the 6th century, in fact its use is documented until the 12th century. During the early medieval period the flooring and roof were renewed (the latter suggested by the find of a kiln only a few metres from the church), the western apse was closed by a small apse positioned within the nave. It seems plausible to date the collapse of the eastern apse to sometime during the 10th century. From that moment the church underwent a radical restructuring with the construction of a new façade and perhaps a change in its orientation. The church was abandoned and collapsed during the 12th century.

The excavation of a vast cemetery area around the church began during the first campaign. By the end of the fourth campaign over 860 burials had been identified. Only one burial was situated inside the church, in a privileged position in front of the altar. This was an “a cassone” burial covered by a heavy travertine slab. Osteological analysis showed that the deceased was a male of circa 18-20 years of age who died in the second half of the 7th century A.D. (14C 650 +/- 688). The analyses also showed that the individual suffered from serious problems regarding limb development which may have caused difficulty with movement. The skeletal remains are still being studied by the Paleo-pathology Laboratory of Pisa University together with the remains from the entire cemetery at Pava.