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Origin and history

The Sainte-Marguerite church of Bairols is a Catholic building located in the perched village of Bairols, in the Alpes-Maritimes. This village, named after Bairollum in the 11th century, was a fief of the Grimaldi of Beuil. The church, built at the top of a ridge, dominates the village and gives it a distinctive shape in S. Originally Romanesque, it was enlarged in the 17th century by retaining its original apse, while being reoriented northward and enlarged.

The 17th century enlargement preserved the Romanesque door while adding a unique baroque nave, a deep choir and two side chapels. The vault, decorated with paintings depicting angelots, flowers and foliage, covers the whole. The choir houses a baroque altarpiece adorned with salomonic columns, golden pampres and a painting of the Crucifixion by Antoine Ceppi, captain of Turin. Statues of the Virgin to the Child and St Joseph complete this set.

The first lateral chapel presents a picture of the Souls of Purgatory, while the second houses a Rosary painted in 1645 by Jean Rocca, active artist between 1608 and 1654. The church also preserves a processional statue of Saint Marguerite terrasing Tarasque, classified as historical monuments. These elements illustrate the artistic and religious importance of the place, marked by Baroque influences and a rich iconography.

The village of Bairols, built on a rocky ridge, reflects a medieval occupation typical of the Alpes-Maritimes, where churches played a central role in community life and the defence of the territories. The building, with its architecture and furniture, bears witness to the stylistic evolutions between novel and baroque, as well as historical links with the Grimaldi and local donors such as Antoine Ceppi.

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