9 9 7 ) ▁was ▁a ▁French ▁journalist ▁and ▁television ▁present er . ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁François - Hen ri ▁de ▁Vir ieu ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Paris , ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁mar quis ▁X avier ▁de ▁Vir ieu ▁( 1 8 9 8 – 1 9 5 3 ), ▁colon el ▁who ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁acts ▁of ▁resistance ▁during ▁the ▁Ma quis ▁du ▁Ver c ors , ▁and ▁of ▁Marie - Fran ço ise ▁de ▁Bru gi ère ▁de ▁Bar ante ▁( 1 9 0 6 – 2 0 0 4 ). ▁He ▁graduated ▁with ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁agricult ural ▁engineering ▁at ▁the ▁É cole ▁Sup érieure ▁d ' A gr icult ure ▁in ▁Ang ers . ▁Five ▁centuries ▁before , ▁Jean ▁de ▁F ay , ▁se igneur ▁de ▁Vir ieu , ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁ancest ors , ▁was ▁already ▁interested ▁in ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁accepted ▁to ▁convert ▁to ▁Roman ▁Catholic ism ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁Italian ▁imm igr ant ▁Pierre ▁Ben ay ▁who ▁imported ▁from ▁B ologne ▁sil k ▁mill s ▁for ▁the ▁we a vers ▁of ▁Lyon . ▁François - Hen ri ▁de ▁Vir ieu ▁comes ▁from ▁a ▁very ▁ancient ▁family ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁nob ility . ▁His ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁direct ▁desc endant ▁of ▁François ▁Henri , ▁comte ▁de ▁Vir ieu ▁( 1 7 5 4 – 1 7 9 3 ). ▁ ▁Journal ism ▁career ▁ ▁Econom ic ▁journalist ▁at ▁Le ▁Monde ▁ ▁François - Hen ri ▁de ▁Vir ieu ▁began ▁as ▁an ▁ad visor ▁for ▁agricult ural ▁co