The site on the summit of the Sant’Andrea upland, between the towns of Campodimele and Itri, was only recently identified thanks to the presence of the remains of a curtain wall and other structures, although the site was known to locals and regular visitors to the region. Its position by the San Nicola pass seems fundamental for the control of the main routes crossing the inland region of the Monti Aurunci, in particular those linking the middle and lower Itri valley with the coast of southern Lazio. The excavations aimed to provide elements for the dating and typology of the occupation on the upland site. One trench (Area 1000) was opened up against the south-eastern section of the perimeter wall, at a point where it formed an almost right-angled corner, with the aim of intercepting a reliable stratigraphy – something made difficult by the geological context that is particularly subject to erosion. This first excavation campaign identified abandonment and occupation phases relating to the final centuries of the early Medieval period, when the abundant ceramics suggest there was a permanent settlement.

Finds of earlier sporadic material, mainly from hill-wash or from upper layers, attest preceding occupation phases that have yet to be investigated. The settlement of Sant’Andrea represents an ideal context for research on regional phenomena such as the first phases of incastellamento in southern Lazio, in particular in the coastal area, or territorial dynamics relating to the Duchy of Gaeta, to which it probably belonged as it was part of the castle of Campello.