Église Sainte-Marguerite d'Orelle, Catholic parish church in Orelle, France

Église Sainte-Marguerite d'Orelle is a 30-metre-long, 10-metre-wide church in the hamlet of Bonvillard, with a 20-metre bell tower. Its pale stucco facade is framed by grey stone quoins and topped by a dark roof with exposed rafters. Two stacked round-arched frames hold a round window with a central column and a recessed wooden double door.

The church was founded in 1661 to serve local residents who faced difficulty reaching more distant religious services, especially during harsh winter weather. Its construction addressed the practical challenge of winter access for the mountain community.

The church is dedicated to Margaret of Antioch, a virgin martyr of the 4th century. Its patronal feast is celebrated in the village, and the parish was long known as Sainte-Marguerite de Bonvillard-sur-Orelle before joining Saint-Michel-en-Maurienne. A sundial and a stele war memorial stand on the south face.

The church stands at 1,200 m in the hamlet of Bonvillard, on the sunny adret slope of Orelle commune; the lanes of the hamlet lead to it. The two massive wooden doors are 3 m high under a masonry vault. Look for the sundial and the stele war memorial on the south face.

The south wall carries a sundial and a stele war memorial, details easily missed beside the doors. The 20 m bell tower holds four clocks, four bells, four metal crosses and a bronze weathervane shaped like a rooster. The two oak doors are 3 m high, each set under a masonry vault.