We know with certainty the day Aulla was born: a notary from Lucca writes that on the 27th of May 884 Adalberto, marquis-count of Tuscany, built a church and an abbey at the confluence point of the stream "Aulella" into the Magra. The area, however, had already been inhabited by the Romans, and before them by the Apuans.

In the course of XI and XII centuries the Malaspina family and the Luni bishops competed over Aulla, until the former eventually succeeded. In 1404 Albiano and Caprigliola, small villages in Aulla's territories, passed under the influence of Florence. In 1522, the Malaspina family sold Aulla to Giovanni delle Bande Nere. This domination is remembered as the darkest and grimmest period in the story of the town: Aulla was shaken by bloody, disordered fights that lasted 3 years, until the Malaspina came back and took the power again.

The situation remained quiet until XVIII century, and Aulla could develop thanks to trade. In 1831 and 1849, Aulla took part in the famous riots that took place in the whole Italian peninsula; it then joined the newly born Regno d'Italia. In the following years Aulla developed further, thanks to the Parma-La Spezia railway and to the ever-increasing importance of the Cisa road.