The first signs of settlement in Collecchio date from the Paleolithic Age. Under the Romans it was called Sustrina and later, in Christian times, Colliculum, because of its location on a small hill. With growing numbers of inhabitants in the Neolithic, deforestation led to flooding in the plains. As a result, settlements were moved up into the hills. Collecchio's history is tied closely to that of nearby Parma under whose powerful bishops the city was ruled. The Roman road Clodia Segunda linking Parma and Luni (via Fornovo) and the Cisa Pass was a mainstay for the local economy and for the development of the ancient Roman city of Sustrina. The road can still be seen today, branching off to the left just before the bridge over the River Taro after leaving Parma on the Via Aemilia.