At an altitude of 1,644 m (5,394 ft), it is located on the left bank of the Marmore river, in the middle of the Valtournenche Valley.

The municipality features eight mills, powered by water from a small river, whose origins date back to the XVIII century.

La Magdeleine is home to many chapels, including one built in the 1600s which is dedicated to Saint Roch, in the hamlet of Messelod.

Paleontological remains found at a height of more than 2,000 m (6,600 ft) (on the slopes of Mount Tantané) suggest that this area was populated during the first Iron Age.

In Medieval times, La Magdeleine was part of the Cly fief and was economically linked to Châtillon.