Centuries-old manuscript narrating Aztec history returns on loan to Mexico

The 16th-century artifact, considered one of the most important visual records of Aztec history, is on loan from France's Bibliotheque Nationale, where it has been held since 1898. The two nations are celebrating 200 years of diplomatic ties.

Combining Mesoamerican pictograms with European writing, the Azcatitlan Codex is divided into three sections. It traces the Mexicas' migration from Aztlan, the mythical birthplace of Aztec civilization, to the founding of Tenochtitlan (in present-day Mexico City). It also recounts the succession of the city's tlatoanis, or rulers, and depicts the arrival of the Spanish, the conquest and the subsequent evangelization, according to Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History.

"These codices are extremely important to us because they continue to give us identity and value as human beings during these very special times we are experiencing," said Maria Eugenia Castañeda, representative of the Mexica peoples. "They elevate our morale, our customs, our culture, and our sense of who we are." 

More than five centuries have passed since the fall of Tenochtitlan to Hernan Cortes, the leader of the invading Spanish force. After defeating the Aztec leaders and the Mexica people who lived in Tenochtitlan, Cortes and his allies looted and razed the city, ushering in three centuries of Spanish domination.

An Indigenous craftsman from the Otomi people created the Azcatitlan Codex, according to Maria Castañeda de la Paz, historian at the Institute of Anthropological Research at Mexico's National Autonomous University (UNAM). 

The codex will be on display until December at Mexico City's famed National Museum of Anthropology. As part of the exchange, Mexico will loan France another important historical document, the Codex Boturini.

(Reporting by Alberto Fajardo; Writing by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Emily Green and Rosalba O'Brien)