Monti di Licciana was already inhabited in remote epoch, as it shows the recovery of a statue stele of type B. The stele was found in 1984 and denominated "Venelia."
The parish of Venelia, today church of Saint Maria, is of ancient origin, remembered as possession of the bishop of Luni in 998. The ancient inhabited area of Venelia was shaved to the sole by the Barbarians. The parish was reconstructed after the 1920 earthquake. The only original part is the the apse in serene stone.
At the left of the parish, the road climbs to the medieval castle, surrounded by secular oaks. Turned into residence, the castle still preserves traces of the drawbridge. It saw the assault of Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and the imprisonment of Spinetta Malaspina. In 1640, the fief stopped being indipendent and passed under Suvero.