The town's name honors the patron saint, St Mary Magdalene, to whom the church is dedicated. A well known resort located in the middle valley of the Valle of Cervino, at 1600 meters of altitude, on the left side of the creek Marmore, in a valley surrounded by forests, covered in rich green pastures and alpine flora, La Magdeleine is composed of five villages arranged in a fan shape and is one the smallest towns of Valtournenche and one of the lowest populated of the entire region, with a primarily agricultural vocation, but without disdaining openings to activities related to tourism, thanks to the possibility of summer excursions, mountain biking, hiking the woods and trekking trails.
Artefacts found near Mount Tantané leave hypothesize that the area was first inhabited during the Iron Age. Well preserved and still visible today are the remains of stone huts (about twenty), and tools for weaving. In the medieval period the village was part of the lordship of Cly and it was tied to Chatillon. For centuries it was a fraction of Antey, then it was separated, from a religious point of view, when an independent parish was created in 1789 , and then, from the administrative one, in 1798.

Not to miss:

The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena, surmounted by a pediment and flanked by a simple looking Bell tower, enriched by a clock and a cross on the spire.
The Chapel of San Rocco in Messelod that, according to official documents was founded in 1672. The façade is enriched by three paintings (on the left, one features St. Rocco, the center one features Jesus Crucified and the right one features San Sebastian), on the all three dominates the symbol of the Divine Trinity and all three restored in 1827. The interior preserves an altarpiece dating back to 1673 and depicts the Virgin with Saints Sebastian and Rocco, a wooden crucifix and two small statues of saints in the golden gilded wood.
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows in Vieu dating back to 1739, from whose porch, shaded by trees, it is possible to admire a stunning panorama. Within an altarpiece depicting the Madonna and Child.
The Oratory dedicated to Notre Dame de Tout Pouvoir, built on the path that leads to Antey Saint Andre.
The archaeological site at the foot of Mount Tantané, at about 2300 meters of altitude.
The Path of the Mills which connects eight mills recently refurbished, some of which are still working, positioned along the same stream that gives the power to operate.