Giambattista della Porta

Giambattista della Porta (1538-1615). Scholar and polymath who lived in Naples, Italy. A child prodigy, Della Porta was educated at home where scientific discussions occurred. The wealth acquired from the ownership of several estates ensured that he could devote his life to his studies. His most famous work first published in 1558 entitled Natural Magic was expanded into 20 books in 1584 and translated from Latin into several European languages.

Cryptography

In 1563, he published De Furtivis Literarum Notis, a work in cryptography, which described the first known polygraphic substitution cipher, and made advances towards the concept of polyalphabetic substitution. Charles J. Mendelsohn commented, "He was, in my opinion, the outstanding cryptographer of the Renaissance. Some unknown who worked in a hidden room behind closed doors may possibly have surpassed him in general grasp of the subject, but among those whose work can be studied he towers like a giant."

Related Topics:
1563 - Cryptography - Polyalphabetic substitution - Charles J. Mendelsohn

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