The foundation date of the Castrum Certalta remains uncertain. The earliest mention dates to the 12th century when the church of Sant’Andrea in the castrum at Certalto is named as part of the patrimony of the nearby monastery of San Salvatore di Monte Acuto in a papal bull issued by Eugene III in 1145. Its strategic position, controlling an important belt of territory contested during the late medieval period by Città di Castello and Gubbio, meant that it was often involved in violent clashes leading to frequent changes in its ownership. The garrison was partially destroyed several times, each of which followed by the strengthening of its defences. The excavation results have defined important, previously unknown, or only partially known, aspects regarding the settlement’s topography. Two areas were investigated, sectors A and B. In sector A, situated in the central part of the excavation area, several walls built of sandstone blocks were identified. Of small to medium size, they were part of a quadrangular room (room A) itself part of a larger complex, whose size and layout are at present unknown. The excavation of this room is to be completed. In sector B, situated in the southern part of the excavation area, a number of walls built of local sandstone blocks were identified. Of small to medium size, they belonged to three rooms. Two small adjoining rooms, abutting the settlement’s curtain wall (rooms B and C) were probably part of a single block, whose extension is not yet known. The doors of both rooms were identified, each with threshold and corner hinges. The excavation of these rooms continues. A large rectangular room (room D) with a quadrangular apse was probably a church, perhaps identifiable with the church of Sant’Andrea in castrum, often cited in documentary sources but never located. The internal faces of the walls presented traces of plaster. In the room’s south-eastern corner a small patch of floor was uncovered, made up of flat terracotta tiles, laid horizontally, dating to the structure’s final phase. The structure was entered through a lateral door, with a large threshold and corner hinges. Excavation of this room continues. The preliminary study of the pottery provided evidence, which for the moment, indicates occupation in the periods attested by the documentary sources, between the full medieval and Renaissance periods. A preliminary analysis of the artefacts has defined a chronological seriation consenting the association of the finds to the various structures identified.

The second excavation campaign revealed new aspects of the settlement’s topography. Excavations continued in the two sectors denominated A and B, which were extended. Sector A, situated in the central area of the excavation, was extended to the north. A number of walls were identified, built in small, medium, and large local sandstone blocks and belonging to a quadrangular structure (room E) which was part of a larger complex. The room was next to room A with which it shared one of the perimeter walls. A blocked opening was found in the internal facing of the north wall, evidence of a change in the room’s function. The excavation of this room is to be completed. Sector B, in the southern part of the excavation was extended to the north. In this sector, room C was excavated down to the level of a floor surface of very compact beaten clay. In the northern part of the room, up against the threshold, a structure of small and middle-sized sandstone blocks, about 0.4 m high, was uncovered. This was probably a step leading into the room itself. In the southern part of the room, up against the perimeter wall, which here also constitutes the settlement’s perimeter, there was a structure of medium to large sandstone blocks (about 0.6 m high). Two parallel vertical grooves (about 0.17 m wide) ran down the front, perhaps slots into which wooden elements would have been fitted. It is suggested that this may have been a “walkway” abutting the perimeter wall of the castrum, as part of the defences. In this sector, several walls built of small to large local sandstone blocks belonging to an irregularly shaped room (room F) were exposed. The removal of the layers within it produced a large quantity of pottery fragments (about 8000), together with numerous metal and glass finds, and fragments of animal and human bone. There was a large blocked opening in the inner facing of the west wall, perhaps indicating a change in the room’s use. A preliminary study of the pottery finds again confirmed that the site was occupied during the period attested in the written sources, between the full medieval and the Renaissance periods. A preliminary analysis of the artefacts defined a chronological seriation, which made it possible to associate the finds with the various structures identified.

The third campaign revealed new information about the settlement’s topography. Excavation continued in two different areas, Sector A at the centre of the settlement and Sector B on the southern part of the site. Both zones were enlarged. In Sector A, excavation continued in the two previously identified rooms. Room A was excavated down to the bedrock without intercepting any floor levels. In room E, two different floor levels were exposed. In the northern part of the room there was a structure made up of medium and large horizontally laid blocks of local stone. This structure, which occupied precisely half of the room, was really a single large block of masonry inserted into the room. Only the southern edge of this structure had a worked face. In the southern part of the room, a floor level was identified, made up of horizontally placed terracotta tiles and lay about one metre below the top of the structure. Room F was excavated down to its floor level, made up of the bedrock levelled where necessary with large, horizontally placed slabs of local stone. In the south-eastern part of the room, two structures made of large sandstone blocks abutted the threshold, probably steps leading into the room itself. Three burials in stone coffins lay below the floor, abutting the perimeter walls. There were no skeletal remains in the burials, which were probably disturbed in antiquity. At present, it is difficult to suggest the original function of this room. However, several occupation phases were identified. Sector B was extended to the west, in the zone between rooms D and F. The excavation revealed more walls, some built of small to large local sandstone blocks, others in bricks, all belonging to structures only partially intercepted to date. Their exact layout and plan remains to be defined. The excavations stopped before the complete removal of diverse layers of collapse. The preliminary study of the large amount of pottery recovered again confirmed that the site was occupied during the period attested by the written sources, the full medieval to Renaissance periods. A chronological seriation has been defined which enables the finds to be associated with the various structures identified.

La IV campagna di scavo si è realizzata senza una vera e propria attività di escavazione. Nessuna unità stratigrafica è stata asportata. L’attività sul campo si è infatti divisa tra un’attenta verifica della documentazione prodotta durante le campagne pregresse, con una particolare attenzione rivolta alle Schede Us ed alla Documentazione Grafica, e azioni di consolidamento e restauro delle strutture murarie emerse nel corso degli scavi passati. Il minuzioso e approfondito riordino e controllo della documentazione di scavo prodotta durante le campagne passate ha permesso di definire con sicurezza sempre maggiore le sequenze stratigrafiche individuate nell’intera area di scavo in generale e all’interno di ciascun vano in particolare, consentendo di delineare una preliminare seriazione cronologica dei fenomeni che dovettero interessare il sito. Aver puntualizzato i rapporti stratigrafici esistenti tra i diversi strati ha infatti permesso di gettare le basi per un utile studio dei numerosi materiali rinvenuti nel corso degli anni, consentendo di associare con sempre maggiore sicurezza i vari reperti alle strutture individuate. Si è trattato di un lavoro intenso e sistematico, protrattosi per l’intero periodo previsto dalla campagna, che è valso, con analitica oggettiva e attendibilità documentaria, a definire con sicurezza sempre maggiore le fasi di occupazione dell’insediamento. Contestualmente al riordino e controllo della documentazione di scavo prodotta durante le campagne passate sono stati realizzati minuziosi interventi di consolidamento strutturale che hanno interessato le murature relative ai vani denominati nelle precedenti campagne C e D. Ogni struttura è stata preliminarmente ripulita con grande precisione, asportando nell’interfaccia superiore della muratura, per circa 5 cm. di profondità, le tracce di terra e i residui di malta presenti negli spazi tra i diversi conci. All’interno delle sottili intercapedini venutesi a creare è stata successivamente introdotta, mediante un’attrezzatura apposita, una nuova malta, di un tono di colore leggermente diverso dall’originaria, così da renderla distinguibile da quest’ultima senza tuttavia rompere cromaticamente con il resto della muratura. Grazie a questo minuzioso e preciso intervento, numerose strutture sono state sottratte all’azione disgregatrice degli agenti atmosferici, vedendosi di fatto prolungare la loro capacità di resistere al trascorrere del tempo.