Gilles Pécout

Biography

Pécout was born in Marseille in December 1961. He graduated from the École normale supérieure in Paris, where he was also professor and director of the History Department.

He holds the chair of Political and Cultural History of 19th century Italy and Mediterranean Europe at the Sorbonne.

He is known to the Italian public thanks to his participation in the RAI3 television program Il tempo e la storia and its sequel Passato e presente, of which he is also a member of the scientific committee.

On 15 September 2016, he was appointed rector of the Académie de Paris. In September 2020 he became Ambassador of France to Austria.