In September 2008 the first excavation campaign was undertaken in the locality of La Badia with the aim of investigating the late medieval monastic complex of San Pietro at Monteverdi.
These imposing structures, with well preserved walls, stand on a hill a few kilometers away from the town of Monteverdi Marittima. The site was founded to house the early medieval monastery of San Pietro in Palazzuolo, situated on a hill slope in the nearby locality of Badiavecchia, which was transferred here.
Interest in reconstructing the history of this monastic complex began following the excavations undertaken, from 2004-2007 with the support of the local administration of Monteverdi, on the site of the original early medieval monastery. With the completion of the study on the early medieval site the decision was made to continue the investigation on the late medieval monastery complex. This was also as a result of a project for the analysis of the walls not only of the new abbey but also of the castles that were dependent on it, such as Monteverdi and Canneto.
The first excavation campaign revealed that heavy destruction and robbing had taken place throughout the abbey complex from the time of its first abandonment and that this had altered the original stratigraphy. Occupation phases, no earlier than the 12th century, were identified mainly in the cemetery area in front of the apse, characterized by several phases of use. It is not possible to give a clearer picture for the moment, due to the lack of data obtained so far.