Aztec codex returns to Mexico after nearly two centuries

France loaned an Aztec codex, known officially as the Azcatitlan Codex, to Mexico for display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

The manuscript details the history of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, including its founding, expansion, and eventual fall to Spanish conquistadors in 1519. It combines European writing with traditional Mesoamerican illustration and was created between the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

The codex, considered a prized account of Aztec history, had been held by the French government since 1898. Both France and Mexico claim ownership of the manuscript, which historians believe passed through several hands after originally belonging to historian Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl. Its return to Mexico is a temporary loan, part of a cultural exchange celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Mexico also loaned the Boturini Codex, another Aztec pictographic manuscript, to France for three months to facilitate the exchange. At the museum, the Azcatitlan Codex is displayed open to pages showing eight Indigenous peoples searching for Tenochtitlan, guided by the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli. Museum officials selected these pages to encourage visitors to connect with their historical heritage.

The return of the codex has reignited debate over its rightful ownership, mirroring a 1982 incident where a Mexican lawyer returned the Codex Tonalamatl to Mexico after taking it from France. Despite this history, Mexico will not attempt to permanently reclaim the Azcatitlan Codex while it is on display.