Plus vieux graffiti de Paris, Work of art in Paris 4e Arrondissement, France

Plus vieux graffiti de Paris is a historic inscription carved into a stone pillar under the arcades of Place des Vosges in Paris, France. It consists only of the name 'NICOLA' followed by the year 1764, cut directly into the limestone surface.

The marking was made in 1764 by Restif de La Bretonne, a typographer and writer who wandered Paris at night and recorded his observations by scratching words into stone. Most of his wall inscriptions have disappeared, but this one survived because the covered arcade protected it from the weather.

The name and date were carved by a man using a simple tool during one of his long walks through the city at night. For locals, the small mark is a reminder that people have always felt the urge to leave a trace of themselves on the walls of Paris, long before spray cans and street art.

Look for it on the pillars beneath the covered walkways around the central garden, at waist height near one of the corner pavilions. Natural light under the arches is limited, so bring a small flashlight or use your phone light to read the letters clearly.

A close look reveals the letters were not written as 'NICOLAS' but as 'NICOLA', matching the Italian form of the name Restif sometimes used. The carving sits low on the pillar, so many rushed visitors walk past it every day without ever noticing the city's oldest surviving mark of its kind.