Past excavations had shown three settlement phases on the hill, situated on the border between the provinces of Pisa and Florence, along the road to Castelfalfi, historically important as the main route linking Valdera Volterrana with Siena, Chiusi and Rome. The first settlement phase dates to the Roman period, as attested by the presence of an _opus- _signinum_ -lined cistern built on the south side of the hill. Based on typological parallels at Volterra in whose territory the site lies it dates to the 1st century A.D. The cistern is unique in the rural territory of the Valdera and its construction implies the presence of residential structures at the foot of the hill. Given its position, it may be suggested that the Roman settlement had a strategic-commercial function, which would explain the presence of pottery and amphora from throughout the Mediterranean basin. The cistern fill was constituted by a significant amount of pottery datable to between the late 6th-early 7th century A.D., which had slipped into the cistern and formed a sealed deposit. The analyses of the materials, led to the identification of a Lombard settlement, a strategic-military stronghold for the conquest of the Byzantine territories, which linked to the _castellum_ Faolfi (today Castelfalfi, nearby), controlling the road from Lucca to Chiusi and, obviously, to Rome. The cult of Santa Mustiola, very rare outside of Chiusi, may have reached the site along this road, further proof of the Lombards’ strong impact on this part of the territory. The written sources and recent archaeological discoveries attest the construction of a church in the 11th century, dedicated to the martyr Mustiola. At present, a number of walls and two cemetery areas have come to light. The earth graves did not contain grave goods except for one female burial found in 2014 along the interior of the church perimeter wall, which contained a finely worked bronze belt and can be dated to the 14th century. It is a type rarely attested in Italy and perhaps unique in the number of elements found. The 2017 campaign concentrated on the hilltop, with the aim of tracing the church perimeter. The stratigraphy was heavily compromised by roots, erosion, and, above all, robbing that took place until the 20th century. The north area outside the church was investigated. To the east, there was a concentration of burials, even in restricted spaces, without grave goods, probably relating to the last phases of the church (deconsecrated in 1512). To the west, part of a structure was found at the bottom of a cut created during the robbing of the site. The latter’s position and construction technique and materials suggest that it did not relate to the church. It may be a pre-existing structure relating to the Lombard, or even Roman settlement.

This season, excavations on the site of Santa Mustiola involved the entire hill summit. The perimeter walls of a building were identified, which on at least three sides (west, south, east) were precisely aligned and related to each other. At some points, only the foundations were preserved (sizable sections at c. 1.5 m below ground level), other parts of the walls presented _in_ _situ_ stone courses and large quantities of collapsed stones, including finely-worked stone blocks and elements from decorative structures (arches, piers, pilasters...). An analysis of these alignments showed that the north wall, which has always been considered to be part of the church’s long side, was not on the same axis as the others. For this reason, the excavations were concentrated around this structure, bringing to light a large number of burials. The density of tombs in this sector of the hill was foreseen during the excavation’s planning phase, and thanks to the anthropologists’ work, notable results were achieved. In fact, about 80 burials were uncovered, dating to between the 14th and 16th centuries. Several rich burials were positioned close to the unaligned wall, containing artefacts such as a bronze belt with finely-worked gold-plated studs and tips incised with vegetal and zoomorphic motifs, a ring with a stone, and a gold-plated bronze pendant containing a small piece of rolled-up paper or fabric. Furthermore, there were several female burials containing various examples of bronze buttons for sleeves, providing a precise indication of how fashion was changing in the 14th century: from dresses with wide sleeves to those with very tight sleeves, sometimes so tight that they had buttons on them, which were done-up after the sleeve was on the forearm. The various tomb groups discovered of this typology and chronology cannot be considered fortuitous but rather concrete evidence of the aristocracies that passed through our territories. It is precisely the quality and concentration of these finds on a site that is relatively distant from the main centres of the period that is surprising, raising interesting questions about our understanding of the 14th century settlement phases in the Alta Valdera. In addition to their intrinsic importance, these finds, given their position at the point in which the continuation of the unaligned wall to the north should have been, have confirmed that this structure does not relate to the others. Rather, it must belong to a building post-dating the tombs (at least the late 14th century onwards), some of which it partially cut. Only future investigations will clarify the function of this structure and the continuation of the settlement phases on the small hill.

The purposes of the 2019 excavation campaign were the continuation of the archaeological investigations as well as the creation of a path able to make the outcome of so many years of research available for the public. The archaeological excavation continued from where it was interrupted at the end of the previous campaign: the cemetery area north of the church. It was necessary to broaden the excavation limits that we had imposed on ourselves, as it was clear how the burials continued to be present even further, with important funeral equipment and useful information to be obtained. In one of the new areas, the burial of an elderly lady with a small cloth purse full of coins came to light. About seventy tombs have been excavated, some characterized by 13-14 c. equipment. They can be placed within the framework of a settlement that had already begun to grow in previous years, with the aristocrats who chose to be buried on this small hill. The investigation continued in an area that was probably inside the building. Here, too, some burials with well-defined pits have emerged. It seems they are less affected by the continuous reopening of the spaces, what instead characterize the external cemetery area. Among these, a mother with a fetus of about eight months and a male individual with equipment were kept in optimal conditions. In parallel to the excavation, a path was created for the public, allowing a visit to the restored Roman cistern. Through a platform, it is also possible to observe the entire summit area of the hill with the medieval structures brought to light; at the same time, archaeologists can be seen at work. The guided tours carried out in 2019 have seen a large public participation, hence the desire to improve the structures during 2020 and 2021.

Gli obiettivi della campagna di scavo 2020 sono stati la prosecuzione delle indagini archeologiche e il potenziamento del percorso di fruizione inaugurato nel 2019, che aveva registrato un forte interesse nel pubblico, confermato ampiamente anche per il 2020. Lo scavo archeologico ha proseguito da dove era stato interrotto alla fine della campagna precedente, ovvero nell’indagare l’area cimiteriale a N della chiesa. E’ stato necessario ampliare i limiti di scavo spingendosi lungo il versante della collina, poiché appariva chiaro come le sepolture continuassero ad essere presenti anche oltre, con corredi importanti e quindi informazioni utili da raccogliere. La scoperta di 47 tombe ha confermato quanto ipotizzato, i cui corredi si collocano nel periodo di massima frequentazione del luogo sacro, ovvero tra XII e XV secolo. In particolare, nel settore nord-ovest dell’area, è stata registrata la presenza di una concentrazione di sepolture infantili, forse volontariamente a creare un piccolo “paradiso” a loro dedicato. Nel settore sud-est dell’area è emersa una fornace per la produzione di una campana di circa 45/50 cm di diametro. Dalle tracce rimaste si può rilevare che le tecniche usate dalle maestranze specializzate seguono i dettami di Teofilo e quindi si può ipotizzare la sua funzione in un preciso momento che va tra il X e l’XI secolo. Nel settore sud, invece, è venuto alla luce un consistente crollo murario, comprensivo di architrave, che potrebbe essere pertinente all’edificio sacro nel momento in cui fu riedificato per volere del Monastero di Santa Giustina di Lucca, agli inizi del XIII secolo. Al momento i dati sembrano suggerire due fasi costruttive sull’apice della collina: la prima di VIII-X secolo, la seconda di XII-XIII secolo, questa sicuramente legata alla chiesa di Santa Mustiola. Per quanto riguarda la prima è possibile che la funzione fosse inizialmente diversa, ma ben presto riconvertita a luogo sacro.

The aims of the 2021 excavation campaign were the continuation of the archaeological investigations and the enhancement of the fruition path inaugurated in 2019, which recorded a strong interest in the public. This interest was confirmed in 2021. The investigations covered the 4 sectors identified in the previous campaign: - Sector 1 and 2: continuation of the excavation of the cemetery - Sector 3: enlargement towards the west, in order to house the repositioning of the platform of the visitor path - Sector 4: enlargement towards the south, in the area where the old platform for the visitors was located. As to the cemetery area, 64 tombs have been documented, confirming the considerable exploitation of the complex of Saint Mustiola, whose grave goods are dated to the period of maximum frequentation of the place, i.e. between the 12th and the 15th centuries. The Sector 1 confirms a large concentration of infantile burials, what was already highlighted in 2020. In the south-west portion, a caisson made of bricks was found along the façade of the church. It has yet to be investigated. The Sector 3 has returned a portion of the churchyard as well as the portion of a wall whose attribution remains doubtful at the moment. The collapse of the southern perimeter wall of the church (Sector 4) has been fully documented. The wall was disassembled in view of a future reconstruction. Below it a square brick pavement emerged, close to a wall running in a north-south direction. This could represent either an annex to the church or a totally detached structure with a different chronology. Indeed, in the nearby stratigraphies several ceramic fragments from the Lombardic period have emerged. They are similar to those found inside the Roman cistern located a little further south and at a lower altitude.