 The first evidence of human settlement are artifacts from the 11th century BC discovered in the valley beneath Castel del Monte and believed to be from an ancient necropolis.In the 4th century BC, Romans conquered the area and established "Città delle Tre Corone", the name meaning "town of the three crowns".This town was later abandoned after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and replaced by the fortified town of Ricetto in what is now the oldest part of Castel del Monte.