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The present article describes codebreakers in Spain under Phillip II, focusing on Luis
Valle de la Cerda and mentioning three others. Despite the widespread episode of Philip II
calling codebreaking "black magic", the Catholic Monarch had a talented codebreaker.
Date of Birth/Death
Luis Valle de la Cerda was born in Cuenca. There is diverging evidence about his year
of birth. There is a record of baptism in Madrid dated 10 January 1552, while the records
of services compiled by him and his relatives put his birth in 1560 (Dubet (2000) p.95, 96, citing
Ms.994 f.1-4 etc.). From this, Dubet (2000) adopts 1552 as the year of birth, despite the
difference in the place (p.13, n.1; the age on p.108; BNE and BnF follow this). Carnicer and Marcos (2005)
gives 1559 as the year of his birth (p.244, again citing Ms.994; Navarro Bonilla et al. (2015) p.109 follows this). One
source gives ca.1540 (Real Academia).
He died on 25 July 1606 (Dubet (2000) p.117; BNE, BnF, and Carnicer and Marcos p.245, agree with this), though
some sources (Navarro Bonilla et al., Real Academia) give 1607.
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Spanish Codebreaking under Phillip II Página 2 de 6
brother of Henry III of France, had been offered to become sovereign of the United
Provinces in place of Philip II, and arrived in the Low Countries in February 1582 (Wikipedia).
In Tournai, where Farnese had headquarters since he took the town in 1581 (Dubet (2000)
p.103), Valle de la Cerda finished writing in April 1583 a tract presented to the king, which
was a forerunner to his pamphlet published in 1599: Avisos en materia de estado y
guerra, para oprimir rebeliones, y hazer pazes con enemigos armados, o tratar con
subditos rebeledes (Notes on Matters of State and War for Suppressing Rebellions and
making Peace with Enemies or Dealing with Rebellious Subjects) (Navarro Bonilla et al. (2015) p.110;
Juan Eloy Gelabert González (2014), Los avisos de Luis Valle de la Cerda en contexto (1598-1599) (Dialnet) p.36), in which he
gave vent to his views as a hardliner against the Dutch revolt and stressed the
ingratitude and blindness of the people in Flanders towards the loving and rightful king
(Yolanda Rodríguez Pérez (2008), The Dutch Revolt through Spanish Eyes (Google) p.74; see also Navarro Bonilla et al. p.110).
Valle de la Cerda longed to return home. When in Turin, Catalina, Duchess of Savoy
and Philip II's daughter, gave to Valle de la Cerda on orders of the Duke of Savoy a letter
in cipher from Venice. It was from Venetian secretary Marco Otthobon [Marco Ottobon]
to ambassador, Juan Mocenigo [Giovanni Mocenigo], dated 27 April 1589. Valle de la
Cerda appears to have solved it, but the solution is lost. He returned to Spain in 1589.
(BNE Ms.994 f.34-38, Carnicer and Marcos p.245, Navarro Bonilla et al. p.115)
In Spanish Court
Back in Spain, Valle de la Cerda continued to be engaged in cryptanalysis as a cipher
secretary of Juan de Idiaquez. (Dubet (2000) p.108-109, Navarro Bonilla et al. p.111, Carnicer and Marcos p.245)
In 1590, Valle de la Cerda was tasked with deciphering intercepted despatches to
Longlee, representative of Henry IV of France, the Protestant new King of France. (But
Longlee's cipher seems to have been broken in 1587.) (another article; BNE Ms.994 p.64-70; Carnicer and
Marcos p.73).
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Spanish Codebreaking under Phillip II Página 3 de 6
places it in the reign of Philip III, but may be confusing this with some other episode; Ms.994 f.97v, 100v seem to be dated 1 December
1595)
on f.90). Although the details of the scheme are not preserved in the archives, according to
Nick Pelling's blog ("Girolamo Sirtori Cipher Mystery"), Eloy Caballero came up with an
idea that abbreviations are used and have come close to the solution in 2012.
In 1605, Valle de la Cerda deciphered a line segment cipher dating from 1604 about a
discovery about techniques in silver mines in the New World, refusing to use the key sent
with the ciphertext. His solution was reputed to be "a rare thing of great genius" by the
Count of Lemos (Navarro Bonilla et al. p.112, 116; Carnicer and Marcos p.246; see another article).
As for Spanish codebreakers other than Luis Valle de la Cerda, the following three
names are mentioned in many websites (and Navarro Bonilla et al.), but they all seem to
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Spanish Codebreaking under Phillip II Página 4 de 6
be based on Carnicer and Marcos (2005) or Marcos (2014). I have not found anything to
add.
Gaspar de Soto
Gaspar de Soto started his career at the age of fourteen and got familiar with cipher
at the desks of the Council of State and the Council of Italy with Secretaries Gaytán and
Gabriel de Zayas. (Gabriel de Zayas (Wikipedia) shared the office of Secretary of State with
Antonio Perez since 1566, but lost influence after Juan de Idiaquez became Secretary of
State in 1579, though he remained in the Council of Italy and the Council of Portugal.)
De Soto stood out in his work during the invasion of Portugal (Wikipedia) (1580-1583). De
Soto also worked with ciphers related to Flanders, France, and Germany.
Jerome Gonzalez
Jerome Gonzalez was a decipherer of the Duke of Alba in Flanders. The duke's
secretary Francisco de Albornoz highly appreciated his skill with cipher in a letter to
Zayas from Maastricht in 1572.
References
Anne Dubet (2000), "Réformer les finances espagnoles au Siecle d'Or: le projet Valle
de la Cerda" (Google), esp. p.95 ff.
Anne Dubet (2000b), "El albitrismo como práctica política: el caso de Luis Valle de la
Cerda (1552?-1606)", Cuadernos de Historia Moderna, 2000, no.24, 11-31 (pdf)
Diego Navarro Bonilla and Julio Hernandez-Castro (2015), "Cryptanalysis Skills and
Secret Information Practices under Two Monarchs: Secretary Luis Valle de la Cerda,
'Genius of Cipher' (ca. 1559-1607)", Geheime Post p.103-119
Carlos Carnicer and Javier Marcos Rivas (2005), Espias de Felipe II
Javier Marcos Rivas (2014), "La Criptografia y los Servicios Secretos de Felipe
II" (pdf)
Real Academia de la Historia
Cristóbal Pérez Pastor (1891), Bibliografía madrileña: ó descripción de las obras
impresas en Madrid (siglo XVI) (Google) no.721 ("Valle de la Cerda (Lvis)") p.386-387
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Ms. 994
(BNE) This includes a summary of Valle's services and many letters deciphered by
him. (There are many missing folios and blank pages.) A printed catalogue is found here
(Inventario general de manuscritos de la Biblioteca Nacional, III (897 a 1100) (1957)).
(f.1-4) "Memorial de los servicios que hizo a la Católica Majestad de los Reyes Don
Felipe II y don Felipe III, en negocios y materias de estado y guerra en Italia, Flandes y
España, Luis Valle de la Cerda, del Consejo de Su Majestad y su Contador en el de
Crusada y su Secretario de la Cifra" (Dubet (2000) p.96, n.7)
(f.5-9) Five short letters from Duke of Anjou, January and February 1583, with
decipherment and key (homophinic cipher in symbols)
(f.13) A note dated 1917
(f.22-24) Letter about Portugal of 7 August 1583, with decipherment and key
(numerical cipher with only one homophone with some code numbers)
(f.26-32) Letter from Daniel Roxerio to Carlos de Nicles about English cooperation
with Flanders , 8 October 1585, with decipherment and key (homophonic cipher in
numbers, letters, and symbols with code symbols mostly in Roman numerals)
(f.34-38) Letter from Venetian secretary Marco Otthobon [Marco Ottobon] to
ambassador, Juan Mocenigo [Giovanni Mocenigo], 27 April 1589; given to Valle in Turin,
undeciphered (the solution is "lost")
(f.64-66) Letter from Longlee, representative of Henry IV of France in Spain, 1 April
1590
(f.67-70) Two letters from Longlee to "Monsr. de Wandoma [Womdosma] [i.e.,
Vendôme], Principe de Bearne" [i.e., Henry IV of France?]
(f.83-86, 90) Record of Valle's solution of text in cipher invented by a Milanese,
Geronimo Sertori [Sirtori] (undeciphered)
*A marginal note "Andru deprada" on f.85; an endorsement "Andres de Prada
secretario de estado de su Mag^d" on f.88v
*A marginal note "Juan Baptista de Tassis" on f.86; an endorsement "Juan Baptista
de Tassis", "..mporta al seru[ici]^o de su Mag^d que se de luego ... abuen receudo" on
f.87v
(f.92-98) Letter in cipher of Princess Asculi, reported to the king on 1 December 1595
(f.102-111) Papers about codebreaking demonstration in 1599
a) Valle's letter to the Marquis of Denia (soon Duke of Lerma) about papers ordered
to be deciphered, Valencia, 25 April 1599 (f.103, [107])
b) Duke of Lerma to Valle de la Cerda, El Pardo, 28 January 1598 (f.104)
c) Letter in cipher at the end of March 1599 (f.105) (monoalphabetic cipher)
d) Solution (f.106)
e) Valle de la Cerda to Secretary Muriel, key on the verso, 1 April 1599 (f.108)
(f.113-185) Letter from the Indies in line segment cipher with color illustrations;
messages of the President of the Indies of 8 May 1605 and 22 September 1605 (f.184)
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Spanish Codebreaking under Phillip II Página 6 de 6
(f.186-190) Historical letter given by the Count of Lemos in March 1599 and
deciphered by Valle de la Cerda, apparently concerning Archduke Philips' second visit to
Spain in 1506 (Wikipedia): solution (f.187), copy of the ciphertext (f.188-189), key (f.190)
Ms. 18.189
(BNE) ... Four deciphered letters of Antonio Perez etc. Includes "Extracto de
servicios de D. Luis Valle de la Cerda, del Consejo de S.M. y su Secretario de Cifra (h.
XIX-XXIv)"
"Extracto de servicios de don Luis Valle de la Cerda que fue del Consejo de Su
Majestad y Contador en el de Santa Cruzada y su Secretario de Cifra" (Dubet (2000) p.96, n.7)
Letters encrypted and analyzed by Luis Valle de la Cerda (Navarro Bonilla et al., n.31)
©2020 S.Tomokiyo
First posted on 7 January 2020. Last modified on 13 January 2020.
Cryptiana: Articles on Historical Cryptography
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