The Secret Writing of Michele Zoppello: An Introduction

Abstract

Michele Zoppello is an insufficiently studied figure within the late medieval cryptographic landscape. Although his biography remains largely uncertain, it is enriched by the existence of a treatise on cryptography, which provides valuable insights into a rapidly evolving intellectual milieu. This paper takes a case study from his treatise, Litterarum Simulationis Liber, to examine the cipher system he devised, with particular attention to its strengths and limitations, thereby clarifying its role in the history of cryptography and its implications in the period. This study provides a basis for future research and further analysis of both Zoppello’s figure and his treatise, representing an initial step toward introducing this subject into scholarly debate on the history of cryptography.