Additional settlements in Italy with the same name origin include Ancarano, Ancaiano (in Tolentino), and Ancharano (in Tuscany).

Artifacts found below Srmin Hill during excavations date from Roman, or possibly even Ancient Greek times.

In 1630 and 1631 the plague greatly reduced the population in the broader area and caused mass abandonment of the monastery complex, with the last ordained monk leaving in 1641.

San Niccolo also served as an artwork storage facility from the 14th to 18th century, when the works mysteriously disappeared after official dissolution of the monastery by the Venetian Republic in 1774.

During Napoleon's Illyrian Provinces, a military hospital was established and later the Austrian Empire remade the settlement into a therapy center for their naval officers.

In 1818 a book was published in Regensburg by Heinrich Hoppe and Friederich Hornschuh praising the local climate as being effective for recovery from injuries and illnesses.

Because of the increased popularity of the facility, a well was built on the outer terrace in 1835 by Bonifazio (from Piran) and Dominic (from Korte).

In 1880, three arches with a stairwell were built on the front entry of the complex to offer visitors a better view of the courtyard.

When searching for facilities, the fate of the society was uncertain until the Society for the Fight against Tuberculosis (Italian: Società per la lotta contro la tubercolosi, Slovene: Društvo za boj proti tuberkulozi), also from Trieste, offered its property in Ankaran for rebuilding the treatment programme, while the Austrian Red Cross supplied two mobile units.

Both world wars severely harmed the treatment facilities and, after the dissolution of Free Territory of Trieste into Italy and Yugoslavia, major renovations and upgrades took place.

After Slovenia gained independence 1991, treatment thrived, with 50% of all state orthopedic activities being carried out at Valdoltra.