The town of Signa is in the province of Florence and it has a population of about 15000 inhabitants. It is known for the churches of San Miniato and of San Rocco and for the Museo della Paglia. Its most interesting tourist attraction is the Parco Renai.

Like all the areas near the Arno river, Signa experienced the Etruscan colonization, before, and the Roman colonization later. In effect, its name could be of Etruscan origin, even though it is quite probable that it can date to the time when Lucius Cornelius Sulla marked the borders of the various lands to be given to his legionaries. What is certain, is that this fact happened a second time in 59 B.C. with the distribution of lands to Julius Caesar's soldiers.
The Roman finds discovered in this places are rich and various: there are coins, weapons, fragments of a bronze statue and of a gravestone. There are also objects linked to the Etruscan times.
In 964, the Parish of Signa was built and it is traceable in a donation act issued by the bishop of Florence reported in the "Capitolo Fiorentino".
In 978, a similar document talks about the conveyance of a church belonging to the castle of Signa. Around the year 1000, the Parish of Signa was one of the biggest in the Florentine country, where it was included since the first half of the XIII century, at least, even if it kept its own administration and a council elected by its population. The bridge over the Arno river, that, according to the legend, was built by Sant'Allucio, was the pivot of the town's economic life. For a long time, it was the only connection between Pisa and Florence.
Thus, Signa became an important market where the goods coming from the port of Pisa travelled towards the Tuscan hinterland. This is probably the reason why the pro-imperial troops of Castruccio Castracani overwhelmed this town and pillaged it in 1326. Therefore, the Florentine Republic provided for its reconstruction and its fortification. At the end of the century, the troops of the Duke Visconti from Milan besieged Signa again, that was the winner after two days of harsh fights.
In the XVIII century, the construction of the "Leopolda" railway, linking Livorno to Florence, weakened the river trade and the economy of Signa was damaged, too. Nevertheless, thanks to the talent of some of its inhabitants, some new and profitable activities started to appear.
In 1714, the manufacture of straw and the consequent production of hats flourished thanks to Domenico Michelacci from Bologna. Besides, at the beginning of the XX century, the Bondi family began the "Manifattura di Signa", that is an initiative linked to the reproduction of precious earthenware according the centuries-old Tuscan tradition.