Ancient Aztec manuscript returns to Mexico from France
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France loaned the Azcatitlan Codex to Mexico, returning the 17th-century manuscript to the country nearly two centuries after it left.
The codex, a 50-folio document, details the history of the Aztec empire, from the founding of Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City, to the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in 1519. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and French President Emmanuel Macron arranged the exchange with France’s Boturini Codex to strengthen ties between their nations.
The Azcatitlan Codex originally belonged to Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl, a politician descended from a prominent ruler of Texcoco, and later passed through several collections before ending up in France. Historians note the codex’s late creation date, after the establishment of colonial rule, and its use of European materials, but still value it for the insights it provides into Aztec history, including the inclusion of Spanish words that helped locate historical sites.
Currently on display at the National Museum of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, the codex is exhibited open to pages illustrating the multicultural origins of the Aztecs and their founding myth. While in Mexico, France will display the Boturini Codex, and both manuscripts will return to their respective countries in December. Mexican officials stated they do not seek to permanently reclaim the Azcatitlan Codex, believing such artifacts belong to the people who identify with their history.
