Hôtel de Rolland

The Hotel de Rolland

The Carcassonne audio-guided tour stops you before the Hotel de Rolland, the present town hall. Originally a simple private mansion, this fine ensemble in the Bastide Saint-Louis is among the most beautiful residences in town.

An 18th-century private mansion

The mansion was built for Jean-Francois Cavailhes, son of a wealthy merchant-manufacturer of the town. He bought four houses and three stables which he had demolished to build his residence, entrusted to the talented Barata family of sculptors and other renowned craftsmen. Completed in 1761, the building reveals a majestic Louis XV facade, adorned with mascarons in Pezens stone. Cavailhes devoted a considerable fortune to it for the time.

What there is to see

The mansion remains one of the finest in town, with its three wings opening onto a courtyard, its carved entrance door and its sumptuous staircases leading to the reception rooms. Its monumental facade, its grand staircase and its carved decoration bear witness to the refinement of the private mansions built by the wealthy Carcassonne cloth merchants. Now the town hall, it continues to enliven the heart of the bastide.

Practical information

The Hotel de Rolland is on Rue Aime Ramond, in the Bastide Saint-Louis. Its facade can be seen freely from the street. As the building now houses the town hall, access to the interior depends on the operation of the municipal services and is not a tourist visit route.

What is the Hotel de Rolland used for today ?

It houses the town hall of Carcassonne, after being built in the 18th century as a private mansion.

What is the style of the Hotel de Rolland ?

Completed in 1761, it presents a majestic Louis XV facade, adorned with mascarons in Pezens stone.