Église Saint-Maurice d'Orelle, Catholic church in Orelle, France

The church is a Catholic house of worship in the mountain village of Orelle, distinguished by a tall bell tower completed in 1580. Its interior contains a baroque main altar dating from 1656 and features distinctive architectural and crafted elements.

An avalanche destroyed the original building in 1412, prompting residents to rebuild it in 1430 and establish the structure visitors see today. This reconstruction became formative to the village's identity and landscape.

The village name Orelle derives from a local deformation of Aurelian of Lyon, who is shown as a statue beside Saint Maurice, leader of the Theban Legion. The 2005 facade decoration depicts Maurice's beheading by the Roman army around 287. Two wooden retables, Notre-Dame-de-la-Pitié and Saint-Antoine, carved in 1662 by Jean d'Albert d'Orelle, were regilded in 2005.

The church continues to serve as an active place of worship for services, weddings, and baptisms, so visitor access may be limited during these times. Tours are primarily available during summer months, making advance planning advisable.

The 2005 facade repaint shows the beheading of Maurice of Agaune by the Roman army around 287, above the entrance doors. Inside, the two wooden retables of Notre-Dame-de-la-Pitié, with grape-vine columns, and Saint-Antoine were restored and repolychromed in summer 2005 by sculptor Marina Laurent of Beaune.