The resort, on the slopes of Monte Morello, was named after a milestone, that was placed here to indicate the seventh mile of the ancient roman road Cassia-Clodia, but there are also many traces of previous settlement, one of this being the "cippo of Settimello" in fiesolano style, dated back to the 4th century b.C., that is now in Villa Corsini (Via della Pietraia, Florence). In the Middle-Age Settimello developed around the Santa Lucia’s church, built probably on an ancient roman villa. In Settimello was born in the second half of the 12th century Arrighetto da Settimello, an odd priest and "philosopher" author of "De diversitate fortunae et philosophie consolatione". In the Santa Lucia’s church we can see a bust and a memorial plaque, in honor of Arrighetto.

In the 16th century the settlement took the features, that has still nowadays and spread out towards the slopes of the mountain, where was built a limekiln: here, in the 1573, Florence bought the lime for the construction of Ponte Santa Trinita.