# Aztec codex returns to Mexico after 186 years

> A centuries-old manuscript depicting the Aztec civilization and Spanish conquest goes on display in Mexico City for the first time since 1840.
- Title: Aztec codex returns to Mexico after 186 years · BBC News
- Summary: A centuries-old manuscript depicting the Aztec civilization and Spanish conquest goes on display in Mexico City for the first time since 1840. France lent…
- Keywords: codex azcatitlán, aztec history, mexico, france, cultural repatriation, spanish conquest, tenochtitlán, emmanuel macron, claudia sheinbaum, national museum of anthropology, artifact return, franco-mexican relations
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ck980qyy6d2zo
- Published: 2026-09-17T11:00:41.201+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: codex azcatitlán, aztec history, mexico, france, cultural repatriation, spanish conquest, tenochtitlán, emmanuel macron, claudia sheinbaum, national museum of anthropology, artifact return, franco-mexican relations
## Ancient Aztec manuscript comes home
Codex Azcatitlán, a 16th-century pictorial account of the Aztec civilization and Spanish conquest, is being displayed in Mexico City for the first time in 186 years.
## France held it for 128 years
The manuscript has been in France's National Library since 1898, but spent decades outside Mexico before that. It was likely created just years after Spanish conquistadors arrived.
## A diplomatic gift marks 200 years
France lent the codex to Mexico to celebrate two centuries of Franco-Mexican relations. The decision was made by President Emmanuel Macron and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
## Mexico sends its own treasure
In exchange, Mexico is lending Codex Boturini to France. This manuscript depicts the Aztec migration to Lake Texcoco and the founding of Tenochtitlán.
## Mexico pushes for artifact returns
Mexico has long campaigned to reclaim historical objects taken during colonization. Last year alone, the country successfully repatriated more than 2,000 artifacts.
## Now on view in Mexico City
Codex Azcatitlán is being exhibited at the National Museum of Anthropology starting Thursday, allowing Mexicans to see their own history for the first time in nearly two centuries.
## Key takeaway

France lent Mexico its most important Aztec document as a gesture marking 200 years of diplomatic relations, part of Mexico's broader effort to reclaim historical artifacts.