In the town of Gressan, Valle d'Aosta, is the Côte de Gargantua Nature Reserve, famous for its elongated shape of the spur, created by the deposit of a pile of glacial moraine. According to ancient legends popular name originates from "the little finger of the giant Gargantua", a character invented by Rabelais, buried in a blanket of debris.
The whole area is rich in flora varied and unique as: Artemisia vallesiaca, a rare aromatic plant, the Telephium Imperati, species of Mediterranean origin, Uva Ursi and the rare and poisonous Daphne alpina.
The fauna is characterized by the presence of small rodents, lizards, birds of prey, wall lizards, songbirds and reptiles.