The first evidence of this church dates back to two papers dated 949 and 1011; at that time it appears that the church was dedicated to San Giovanni Battista. In the founding document of the Badia a Elmi of 1034 it appears that the church was already dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta. The territory of the parish was often disputed between the Cadolingi counts and the bishops of Volterra, who still had jurisdiction. From the end of the twelfth century the news about this parish began to increase, news that refer to the progress of some works and the names of the rectors. At the base of the bell tower there is an inscription that reads: + REMOTA FUIT H PLEBS A M CXC IN ITA FACTA TEMPORE ILD PLE; it is the testimony that in 1190 the title of a previous church located nearby was transferred to this building by the will of the then parish priest Ildebrando. Ildebrando the parish priest was the central figure for the life of this building so much so that even in 1250 he was parish priest of it. During his plebanate all the works of the new church were carried out, which lasted at least 50 years; the consecration of the church took place in 1238 as reported by an inscription on the facade; but not only that, the parish priest also covered important roles in the civil life of the area, so much so that he was called to judge in various disputes that broke out in the territory The successors of Ildebrando were Aloigi, Valenzo, Martino and Dandoe know that the pleban complex also included a rectory and a leper colony. The plover of Cellole was not particularly rich but, around 1300, he could count on as many as 20 suffragan churches and was granted the same authority as the parish priest of the church of the same name in San Gimignano. Despite this recognition, in 1413 the church was officiated only on Sundays and the ecclesiastical building was in poor condition, this because the care of the church was entrusted to a member of the Cavalcanti family who was totally disinterested in it. In 1502 the chapter of Cellole boasted the same dignity as that of San Gimignano but in the middle of the century it was joined to that of the Badia a Cerreto. This was opposed by the municipality of San Gimignano which only in 1595 managed to obtain the restitution of the patronage of the abbey in Elmi which since then has been subjected to the canons of San Gimignano. During the 18th century the church was redefined in Baroque style and numerous restorations were made. Other works took place around 1860 when the bell tower, now unsafe, was demolished to the height of the roof and the openings of the facade were also modified [1]. Between 1878 and 1879 by the will of the then parish priest Lorenzo Pecorai, restorations were carried out which led to the elimination of all Baroque additions and the reconstruction of the facade and apse. In 1922 the roof of the left nave collapsed and the following year it was rebuilt. In the 80s of the twentieth century the portal was consolidated and the basilica paved.
