Acquisition of buildings 1753-1755 (≈ 1754)
Purchase by the Marquis de Rata.
1755-1768
Construction of hotel
Construction of hotel 1755-1768 (≈ 1762)
Period of main construction.
1773
Sale of the hotel
Sale of the hotel 1773 (≈ 1773)
Fed as "built to nine".
11 mai 1994
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 11 mai 1994 (≈ 1994)
Official registration of protected items.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Former hotel, including the balcony located in the inner courtyard and connecting the south wing to the north wing, the floor of the inner courtyard (Box DI 515); the passage linking this courtyard to Rue Saint-Agricol and its ground and the gate opening 19bis rue Saint-Agricol (Box DI 514): inscription by order of 11 May 1994
Key figures
Louis de Rata de Gargarilla - Marquis and sponsor
Commander pontifical infantry, builder of the hotel.
Famille Bertet de Roussas - Subsequent owners
Has the hotel until 1901.
Origin and history
The Ratta hotel, also called Hotel Rata de Gargarilla, is a private hotel located in Avignon, in the department of Vaucluse. Built between 1755 and 1768, it embodies 18th-century civil architecture, with a stone façade and a wrought iron balcony overlooking the main entrance, located 6 rue Bouquerie. The building is organized around an inner courtyard accessible from Saint-Agricol Street, reflecting the Avignon urbanism of the pontifical era.
The Marquis Louis de Rata de Gargarilla, commander of the pontifical infantry and knight of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem, acquired two buildings in 1753 and 1755 to build this hotel. Sold in 1773 as a "new building", the building then passed into the hands of the Bertet de Roussas family until 1901. Its interior retains remarkable elements, such as a wrought iron ramp staircase, decorations painted in the north and east wings, and a boudoir decorated with Chinese camaieu motifs.
Ranked a historic monument in 1994, the Ratta hotel protects not only its main structure, but also related elements such as the floor of the inner courtyard, a passage to Saint-Agricol Street, and a secondary gate. These protections underline its heritage importance, linked to the urban history of Avignon under papal influence and the evolution of Provencal private hotels.
Available sources, including Wikipedia and the Mérimée base, confirm its exact address (6 rue Bouquerie and 19bis rue Saint-Agricol) and its current membership in the department of Vaucluse. The building thus illustrates the mixture of local architectural influences and 18th century aristocratic codes, while at the same time showing the social dynamics of the period, marked by the presence of noble families and church sponsors.
