The ground floor corresponds to the early Christian basilica, a rectangular building (58 x 19 metres), with one nave and polygonal apse. The facade was preceeded by a narthex (portico) with threee entrances, like the church: several sarcophagi were found inside, and are left there. The floor is paved with a geometric mosaic, Greek and Latin inscriptions are inserted at regular distances. Most of them mention a benefactor and the size of the tract mosaic he offered: they give us the image of a various community, including Latin and Eastern (more then all from Syria) person-names. The church was built during the 4th century, and was hardly damaged by Attila's invasion; when it was restored, the nave was divided into three aisles and a new floor covered the older, 40 cm higher: now it has been detached and is exhibited on the wall. The building was restored again at the beginning of the 9th century, when it became a monastery of Benedictine nuns.

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