Its name probably derives from the latin words "sub" (under) and "ficinulae", diminutive of the word "ficum"; many prehistoric, Etruscan and roman relics were found in the area.
Under the influence of Siena, in 1240 Sovicille became a free common with its own statutes. During the XIII-th century for Sovicille started a decline phase caused by the conflicts among the close towns that quarrelled the village and caused the devastation of its territory. The economic increase coincided with the entrance of the town in the domains of the Medicis.
The historic-artistic heritage of the territory is of extreme importance. It can boast a large presence of abbeys and Romanesque parish churches such as San Giusto a Balli, Pernina, Molli, Ponte allo Spino, Torri with the notable polychromatic cloister in the Santa Mustiola abbey, and San Lorenzo a Sovicille. Villas worth mentioning are the 17th century Cetinale designed by the architect Carlo Fontana; Celsa with its formal garden and the 18th century Villa Linari.