The village's origins date back to the pre-Roman era, though several archaeological remains from the Lombard erahave also been discovered. During the Middle Ages, Piazza al Serchio experienced a period of great economic growth, encouraged by its geographical position. Under the control of the Bishop of Lucca until the eighteenth century, it then passed into the hands of the Duke of Modena until the unification of Italy.
Until 1863, the Municipality was called Pieve di Castelvecchio, after a medieval castle castrum vetus, located on top of a doglione, one of the large volcanic cones that define the character of this town's landscape (appearing like protagonists in many photos).
Amongst the most importan monuments, it's worth mentioning the beautiful San Michel bridge at the entrance to the town, and the parish church of San Pietro that preserves a bell from 1271, found during recent archaeological excavations.
In 2019, the Museo Italiano dell’Immaginario Folklorico was inaugurated, dedicated to fairy tales, legends, beliefs, documents and evidence that details the territory's past. The museum preserves thousands of unpublished tales from popular tradition, not only from the surrounding area, but also from other Italian regions, that can be consulted with the help of multimedia.