Legend has it that in May 1800 Napoleon casually met with the Austrian commander, De-Breux, to negotiate the passage of the French troops from Fort Bard.
Napoleon shrewdly entertained the Austrian officer until the arrival of his troops and then declared: “Sir, till now I was your prisoner, now you are mine” and indicated a spring a short distance from the pass as a location.

There is no doubt that Napoleon’s passage in the Aosta Valley has stimulated popular imagination over the years. In fact, historical research has found no confirmation of this episode at the “Col di Joux”, while there is evidence of the transit of the French leader in Etroubles, Aosta and Châtillon.