Aztec manuscript loaned back to Mexico after two centuries

Key Points:

• The Azcatitlan Codex, a 16th-century manuscript depicting Aztec history through vibrant pictograms, has returned to Mexico for the first time since 1840 and is now on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
• The codex, on loan from France's Bibliotheque Nationale as part of the 200-year diplomatic celebration between Mexico and France, chronicles the Mexica migration, the founding of Tenochtitlan, its rulers, and the Spanish conquest.
• Mexican officials and indigenous representatives emphasized the codex's significance in reconnecting Mexicans with their cultural identity and history, marking a step toward the restitution of indigenous artifacts held abroad.
• The codex, created by an Otomi craftsman, features a blend of Mesoamerican pictograms and European writing, vividly illustrating Aztec rituals, rulers, and the impact of Spanish colonization.
• The exhibition will run until December, with Mexico loaning France the Codex Boturini in exchange, another important document depicting Aztec migration.