THE VILLAGE OF SATURNANA, SITUATED ON THE RIGHT BANK OF THE TORRENT OMBRONE, IS VERY ANCIENT. THE PLACE-NAME "SATURNANA" IS PROBABLY OF ETRUSCAN DERIVATION AND A FEW FINDS OCCASIONALLY DISCOVERED AT CAROGGIO, A LOCALITY IN THE SURROUNDINGS OF THIS VILLAGE, DENOTE INSTALLATIONS OF PRIMITIVE LIGURIAN POPULATIONS, WHO INHABITED THIS AREA IN THE II° CENTURY B.C.

THE PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT GIOVANNI BATTISTA AT SATURNANA IS REMEMBERED FIRST IN A PARCHMENT DATED 989, WITH THE NAME OF THE TITULAR SAINT: PLEBS S.IOHANNIS SITA SATORNANA. THE PARISH, WHICH HAS BEEN BUILT ON A LONG AND WINDING WAY OPENED IN THE LONGOBARD PERIOD, MAYBE ALREADY EXISTED IN THE VIII CENTURY AND IT WAS A STOP STATION FOR THE VOYAGERS WHO WENT ALONG THIS ROAD.