Aztec history book returns to Mexico after nearly 200 years

After almost 200 years away, a 16th-century painted history of the Aztecs is back in Mexico and on public view.

The Codex Azcatitlan returned to Mexico for the first time since 1840, according to Reuters. It went on display in Mexico City last week in a free exhibition that runs until 6 December 2026.

The show is called ‘El Códice Azcatitlan. México-Francia, 200 años de amistad’. It opened on 17 September at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, which is run by the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico.

Entry is free. No ticket needed. Just walk in.

So what is it? A codex, a handwritten and hand-painted book, made in the 1500s. It is also catalogued under the title ‘Histoire mexicaine’, or Mexican History, according to the National Institute of Anthropology and History.

The story it tells starts a long time before that. It traces the journey of the Mexica people from their homeland of Aztlan, beginning around 1168 A.D., and recounts the founding of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital on the site of present-day Mexico City, Reuters reported.

The book belongs to the collections of the National Library of France in Paris. Its trip to Mexico is a loan, and part of a diplomatic exchange between Mexico and France, according to ARTnews.

That exchange marks 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Mexico’s foreign ministry and culture authorities organised the display with French partners to mark the bicentennial.

What makes this stand out is simple access. For most people in Mexico, this is the first chance to stand in front of the original pages rather than a reproduction. The loan is temporary. The dates are short.