 However around 400 CE, the first churches took root in the area between Città Sant'Angelo and Atri.The vestino-roman abodes, which would have been located in the nearby Salt Hill, were probably destroyed in the early Middle Ages, probably during the Gothic War (535–554); the Longobards (Lombards) who invaded Italy after the Gothic War, would likely have rebuilt the areas from scratch in their present location, leaving as the trace of their later presence the worship of the Michael (archangel).Testimonies of this cult are present in both the local landmark and the municipal coat of arms.