The site was already known for the presence of an early Christian church of the 9th-10th century, built above the remains of a Roman villa situated along a branch of the ancient road Puteolis-Capuam.

Recent investigations confirmed that the modern road retraces the route of the ancient one, in an east-west direction. Its important role in communication between the inland area and the coast is shown by its long use, attested by four beaten earth surfaces. The earliest, with a “donkey-back” form, showed various cart tracks on its surface. Above the latest surface there was a substantial accumulation of pottery. This spanned a wide chronological range, between the 1st century B.C. and the 10th century A.D. and indicated the uninterrupted occupation of the nearby settlement which then became a cult site.

In the stretch of road closest to the ancient church around twenty burials in earth graves were found. They had no covering or grave goods and the majority rested on the latest beaten surface. Furthermore, a stretch of the pavement of tufa blocks was identified, probably belonging to the front yard of the church. The remains of an ancient kiln also came to light, of which a work surface and a small combustion chamber were identified. The structure seemed to have been used as a lime kiln, probably at the time when the ancient church was built.