Born in Algiers on November 29 1932.
Education and professional career
- 1952-1958 : Student at the École normale supérieure
- 1958 : Agrégé d'histoire
- 1958-1961 : Member of the École française de Rome
- 1964-1993 : Director of Studies at the École pratique des hautes études, IVe section, " History of medieval Italy "
- 1972 : Doctor of Letters, Sorbonne University
- 1972 : Senior Lecturer
- 1973 : Professor of medieval history at the Sorbonne
- 1974-1979 : Member, then Vice-Chairman of the History agrégation jury
- 1974-1980 : Member of the Consultative Committee of Universities
- 1986-1991 : Member of the National Council of Universities
- 1976 : Member of the Società Romana di storia patria
- 1976-1980 : President of Section 39 of the CNRS National Committee
- 1986-1991 : Member of Section 39 of the CNRS National Committee
- 1992 : Member of the CNRS National Scientific Council
- 1986 : Member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres
- 1989 : Member of the Academia Europaea
- 1989 : Ordinary member of the Istituto di Studi Romani
- 1992-2003 : Professor at the Collège de France, chair History of the Mediterranean West in the Middle Ages
- 1992 : Member of the Bologna Academy of Sciences
- 1992 : Member of the Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques, and of the scientific and administrative boards of the Centre d'études supérieures de civilisation médiévale de Poitiers, the École nationale des Chartes, the Casa de Velázquez (Madrid) and the École française de Rome
- 1992 : Director of the International Seminar on Frederick The Second at the Ettore Majorana Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice (Sicily)
- 1992 : Director of the journal Le Moyen Âge and the Journal des savants
- 1992 : Member of the board of directors of Revue historique, Cahiers de civilisation médiévale, Mediaevistik (Stuttgart), Revue Mabillon
- 1995 : Member of the Comité national d'évaluation des universités et des grands établissements
- 1996 : President of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres
Awards and distinctions
- 1973 : CNRS Silver Medal
- 1975 : Galileo Galilei International Prize
- 1991 : " Cultore di Roma
- 1995 : Prix Augustin-Thierry from the Académie française