The first bookstore in France is Librairie nouvelle d'Orléans

The first bookshop in France is the Librairie nouvelle d'Orléans, which can be considered the oldest in France. Its first owner was Étienne Rouzeau in 1545, who opened a premises on rue de l'Écrivinerie (today rue Pothier), opposite the thesis hall of the University of Orléans. This bookshop, although often bought out, has never closed its doors since its creation, even though it has been moved four times.

However, if we consider the oldest bookshops in Paris, it is Librairie Delamain that holds this title. Founded in 1700 (or 1708 according to some sources) by André-Charles Cailleau at the Palais-Royal, it is the oldest Parisian bookshop still in operation. After a fire at the neighbouring theatre, it moved in 1906 to 155 rue Saint-Honoré, opposite the Comédie-Française, where it is still located.   

Delamain initially offered 5,000 old books and now has a total of 25,000 over 90 m². It has been labelled "reference French bookshop" by the Ministry of Culture. Emblematic figures of French literature such as Aragon, Cocteau, and Colette frequented its shelves. The bookshop was initially managed by the publisher Stock for nearly 80 years before being taken over by Gallimard in 1986.

This depiction captures the essence of this historic bookshop with its ornate display cases, its thousands of leather-bound old books, and its timeless atmosphere that makes it a true treasure of Parisian literary heritage.