LOUIS XIII, roi de France et de Navarre (1601-1643) - photo 1
LOUIS XIII, roi de France et de Navarre (1601-1643) - photo 2

LOUIS XIII, roi de France et de Navarre (1601-1643)

Starting price
€ 5 000
Auction dateClassic
21.11.2022 12:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 859081
Lot 53 | LOUIS XIII, roi de France et de Navarre (1601-1643)
LOUIS XIII, roi de France et de Navarre (1601-1643). Lettre autographe signée ("Louis") en langage codé, à son cousin [Urbain de Maillé, marquis de Brézé et maréchal de France (1598-1650)]. "À St Germain en Layve, ce 6me Avril 1639".

2 pp. sur 1 feuillet in-8 (220 x 163 mm), encre brune sur papier.

A partir du XVIe et surtout du XVIIe siècle, la cryptographie s'impose comme une nécessité pour préserver la confidentialité des relations diplomatiques et des messages envoyés par les souverains et les puissants. Richelieu s'attache ainsi les services d'Antoine Rossignol (1600-1682) après un coup d'éclat lors d'un siège, en 1628. Rossignol parvient en effet à déchiffrer un message envoyé par les assiégés, qui dévoile leur situation désespérée.
Rossignol et son fils seront à l'origine du Grand Chiffre, système de chiffrement par substitution destiné aux messages ultra-secrets envoyés par le roi Louis XIV - ce code ne sera déchiffré qu'à la fin du XIXe siècle.
On connaît quelques autres exemples de lettres autographes de Louis XIII en langage codé passées sur le marché, notamment une datée du 7 décembre 1636, elle aussi adressée au maréchal de Brézé et provenant de la collection Albin Schram (Christie's Londres, 3 juillet 2007, lot n°410).

Autograph letter signed, presumably containing secret instructions, as it is written in a code based on a secret language.
Place of origin:France
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
09.11.2022 – 21.11.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
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