Pieve a Nievole gets its name from the historic Parish Church (pieve in Italian) of San Pietro a Neure, founded on the southern slopes of the Montecatini hill, along a stretch of the historic via Cassia. It's believed to have been founded by the bishop of Lucca, Fridianus, before Valdinievole was invaded by the Lombards in 570. However, there's no documentation of the church until the 18th century. In this document the bishop of Pistoia, Giovanni, promised the bishop of Lucca, Balsari, to recognise the latter’s jurisdiction over the parish churches of Neure and Celle. The church became more and more important, likely due to its position, until by the year 1000 it had at least 10 chapels.
The construction of the Pistoia-Lucca-Pisa railway was considered one of the most significant developments in Tuscany in the last century. The construction work started in 1853 and lasted three years. Thanks to the construction of the station, Pieve a Nievole became a centre which attracted the inhabitants of surrounding municipalities.
