The village of Castellina is characterized by the Romanesque church dedicated to Ss. Philip and James. There are 71 families in the middle of XIII century. According to the inventory of the goods of the district of Pistoia (1382), the village was surrounded by stone walls and it had a fortalice. Located in a border area between the middle Arno valley and Valdinievole, Castellina (whose original name was Castellina Malazzani) probably has an older origin linked to the strategic interest of its geographical location, close to the pass of Serravalle. The fortified settlement, in fact, would have been part of a military border line created in this area by Byzantines to counter the Lombard advance towards Pistoian area and it was characterized by a series of fortifications with a visual connection on the Serravalle-Femminamorta ridge.
