The site of the Alpe has been permanently occupied since the Middle Ages. East of "L'Alpe veti", a medieval agglomeration had grown from the end of the 11th to the 14th century under the name of Brandes. It was composed of a castle, a parish church with a cemetery, a village with about 80 homes, surface and underground mine workings, as well as several industrial districts. Its occupants operated a silver mine on behalf of the Dauphin. It is currently the only medieval known and preserved in its entirety, making it a unique site in Europe and classified as historical monuments by a decree of 6 August 1995.