English version

                                                                                      GABBRO
In the past the village of  Gabbro was known  with the name of Castel of Gabio or Ghabio or Gabro, and first it was called Contrino ,  title in which its parish of S. Michele was distinguished, when it was a filial of the parish of St. Giovanni at Camajano, situated, on the Rialdo ditch, in the place now named « Pievaccia».
In the Monastery of St. Lorenzo alle Rivolte in Pisa there is a  parchment which dates back to 1203 where  Gabbro is mentioned  and they say  the village is so called  because it was built on the eruptive rock rich in magnesium which is dark green and has that geologic name.  The document existing in the above-mentioned monastery, dated April 3 rd 1203,  concerns the sale made by Guido, son of the late Ghino to Leolo,son of the late Guiduccio and to Iacopo from Lari son of the late Guerriscio, of the undivided half of two pieces of land in the Curia of Montemassimo, called «Gabbro», document drawn up in Pisa by Bonagiunta, son of the late Boncompagno.
Another document dated November 15 th 1204, existing in the same convent of St. Lorenzo, concerns another sale made by Ugo, son of the late Cacciabote to Leolo, son of the late Guiduccio from Montemassimo of a piece of land near the castle of Montemassimo, called «Gabbro»; document drawn up by Niccolò from St. Niccolò. In 1879 some Eetruscan-Roman and Roman burial grounds were discovered at Gabbro. Gabbro, with other villages on thePisan hills , was exonerated from taxes  for twenty years by Cosimo I De Medici (1547)  in order to persuade some families to go and live there  to increase the cultivation of the grounds.
At first Gabbro was a municipality by itself, later it became a hamlet of the municipality of Fauglia.  
In 1859 with the annexation of the Tuscany grand duchy to the Kingdom of Italy, Gabbro was submitted to the Municipality of Collesalvetti.  
From 1886 to 1895 the Florentine impressionist painter Silvstro Lega lived at Gabbro and  in his works he drew inspiration from the landscape of the village many times.
Since June 3 rd 1910 officially  it is a hamlet of the municipality of Rosignano. Such regulation, together with a precise application sent by the inhabitants of a village “anxious to free itself from Collesalvetti”, gets to the town hall after a long wait. The aggregation of Gabbro is approved with 8 votes to 4.
The inhabited centre of Gabbro, started to expand out of the castle  between 1722 and 1773. In this place, both on the near Sanguigna ditch, and on the Goracci one at Rosignano, the installation of new hydraulic mills had been made easier by the liberalization of the  milling activity thanks to the grand-ducal proclamation of 11th December  1775.
The church of St. Michael Archangel  dates back to 1700, restored to the ancient linear Baroque.  Besides the historical centre with its arch and  the fortress we  recommend visiting the interesting rural villas nearby.