Edited by:
Samantha Blanchod
According to an old legend, the name of this commune originates from a curious anecdote about its discovery. Some French shepherds used to go grazing along the Col du Mont valley.
Every day, a grey-coloured cow would disappear for several hours and always return full. The shepherds, intrigued by the strange behaviour, decided to follow it and from La Motte they arrived at the top of the Col du Mont. From up there they could see a hitherto unknown valley, rich in pastures and streams. In honour of the true discoverer, they named it 'Vallée de la vache grise' (which in Italian means 'valley of the grey cow'), which in time became 'Valgrisenche'.
According to some, the name may instead derive from the Latin 'Vallis Graia' because it is located in the centre of the Graian Alps. Others, recalling a famous saying by Canon Bethaz (according to whom "A Valgrisenche on y va ni par mer ni par terre, mais par rocs et par pierres"), hypothesise that the commune's name derives from the large grey rock walls that flank it.