In a reciprocal gesture, Mexico has agreed to loan another invaluable manuscript, the Codex Boturini, to France for exhibition.
The Codex Boturini features pictograms that chronicle the Aztec—or Mexica—migration from their ancestral homeland to the shores of Lake Texcoco, where they established the city of Tenochtitlán.
This temporary exchange of codices was finalized during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Mexico last year, following an agreement with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Mexico has consistently advocated for the repatriation of historical artifacts removed from the country in previous centuries.
According to Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Relations, over 2,000 objects were successfully returned to the nation last year alone.
The Codex Azcatitlán is scheduled to go on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City starting Thursday.