Blaise de Vigenère

Blaise de Vigenère (April 5th 1523 - 1596) was a Diplomate, Cryptographe and Alchimiste French. The Chiffrement of Vigenère owes its name with the coding which (paternity in cost with Giovan Batista Belaso) was wrongfully allotted to him to the 19th century.

Vigenère was born in the village from Saint-Pourçain. At 17 years, he embraced a diplomatic career, which he continued during more than thirty years, taking its retirement in 1570. At 24 years, it entered to the service of the Duke of Nevers. In 1549 it visited Rome during two years a diplomatic mission, and it went back in 1566 there. During these two stays, it came into contact at the same time with books treating of cryptography, and the cryptologists themselves. When Vigenère took its retirement, to 47 years, it offered its annual pension of 1 000 pounds with the poor of Paris. He married a certain Marie Varé.

During its retirement, he wrote more than twenty books, of which:

the Traicte de Cometes ;
the Traicte of the Figures (1585).

In its Traicte de Chiffres it describes a key coding of its invention. It is the first coding of this kind difficult to break.

In 1584 he becomes secretary of the room of the king Henri III of France.

Vigenère died of a cancer of the throat in 1596. It is buried in the church Saint-Etienne-of-Mount, in the V {{E}} district of Paris.

External bonds

numerical Version of '' Traicté of the Figures '' on the site of the bnf
numerical Version of the '' Traicté of Fire and Salt ''

Random links: