With its beautiful panoramic position along the Via Mercatorum, the town looks down over the valley floor. Its origins may date back to the 1st century AD during the Roman Empire when all the Serina Valley was subject to Bergamo. The first documentary evidence is from 1186 when it is mentioned that the Bishop of Bergamo made concessions to some residents in the area at the request of the village priest. In medieval times the village played an important role. It was called Costa di Sambusita then and was one of the first in the area to be self-ruled with its own communal statute. Its territory included Sambustia and Rigosa, which are now part of Algua, and all the small residential areas on the left bank of the Serina creek. It was not until the 15th century that the village changed its name to Costa Serina.
Italian