It is said that the last bear was in the Affouà forest, located south of the church, on the left bank of the Buthier. A very dense forest, rich in pines and larches. The bear went down to the stream and crossed it to the nearby hamlets (where the first village of Valpelline was built) to attack men and animals. Not knowing how to get rid of the bear, the valley dwellers decided to breed a bull of prodigious strength. They fed it for four years, with great care, hoping that it would achieve the necessary strength. The bull was brought to the banks of the Buthier, accompanied by villagers armed with pitchforks, waiting for the bear. The bear did not wait and immediately attacked the bull. After a long and bloody fight, the bear was mortally wounded by a horn from the bull. Taking advantage of the situation, the villagers came forward and killed the bear. They took it and displayed it in the town square.

A beautiful girl named Noletta was about to bathe in the waters of the Buthier stream when the lord of Oyace, who had gone out hunting, attacked her. Desperate to escape, the young girl threw herself into the torrent and was swept away by the rushing waters. In memory of this girl, the valley was named after her: Verzignoletta.