The Archaeological Site
The archaeological excavations revealed that Belmonte hill was inhabited already in the late Bronze Age and in the early Iron Age. There are evidences of a big settlement on the gentler slope of the hill where people used to hunt, breed animals, mill cereals - wheat, barley, and millet - and cook the food in the huts. Crockery and cinerary urns have also been found in a small depression near S. Apollonia church, a place considered sacred near the pedestrian path connecting Valperga with Sacro Monte di Belmonte.
The presence of man in the area continued both in the Roman and the Lombard period. In the area called "del Campass", it is still possible to see the foundations of a Lombard fortified house, similar to a village surrounded by a wall. Excavation campaigns have brought to light interesting finds like everyday objects, arms, and jewels of fine workmanship. One of the halls that have been found could be a forge for the processing of metals and the creation of working tools and arms.
