Excavations were undertaken inside the pentagonal palace, situated on the highest point of the settlement. Prior to the 11th century the area was characterised by a sharp slope to the south-east. Traces of the earliest occupation were represented by four post holes and two hearths, situated in the north-eastern part. The post holes, two of which full of lithics, were cut directly into the clay-capellaccio bedrock. The arrangement of the post holes and hearths suggests the presence of two distinct timber structures – two huts? – situated on top of the hill. Due to the lack of finds the structures are dated generically to a period prior to the cemetery phase. In fact, during the 11th-12th century a small cemetery was laid out, comprising seven infant burials. Six were concentrated in the eastern part, orientated east-west, the heads to the west. One burial was in the north-eastern part, orientated south-west/north-east, with the head to the south-west. All of the burials were in earth graves with the exception of one in a stone coffin with covering slabs. In a period only slightly later than the use of the cemetery, a keep was built in sandstone blocks, which probably occupied the whole of the summit area. Traces remain of the north-eastern section of the north perimeter wall and part of the south-eastern wall which were quoined together.

Between the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century the summit area was levelled and the keep demolished in order to make way for the construction of the double pentagonal structure (palace with central tower). Construction began with the central tower, whilst a part of the building site was set up in the southern part of the area, where the pit for mixing lime and a series of post holes were found. Subsequently, probably during restructuring in the 16th century, a stone structure was put into place. It was sunken into the ground, concave, semicircular, 4.90 m long and 0.50 m wide and 2 m deep, with an indentation in the central part which has been interpreted as the housing for the wooden wheel of a winch having a vertical element, also timber, which fitted into the central indentation. When it fell out of use the structure was obliterated by rubble, a stone staircase was built and a paving of clay-shale slabs was laid without mortar, divided into four sectors corresponding to the four corners of the tower. The excavation did not identify any 15th century phases, confirming, at least in this area, a period of abandonment or at least scarce occupation of the building.
It was only in the first half of the 16th century that the palace underwent some restoration, perhaps to be linked to the rearming of the fortress against the Spanish threat or to new owners. In fact, at the beginning of the 16th century part of the paving in the south-east sector was relaid and the staircase restructured and then the internal spaces were reorganised through the creation of three small intercommunicating rooms in front of the entrance.