Aztec manuscript returns to Mexico on loan after 200 years

Mexico’s long‑standing request for the restitution of an Aztec manuscript has been partially fulfilled: the codex, a 16th‑century illustrated record of pre‑colonial history, has been returned from France to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in Mexico City, albeit under a temporary loan agreement. The document, known as the “Codex Florentine” and held for more than a century in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, was the subject of diplomatic negotiations that intensified after Mexico’s 2022 appeal to UNESCO for the artifact’s repatriation.

Under the terms of the loan, the codex will be displayed at the National Museum of Anthropology for a period of three years, after which it will be returned to the French library unless a permanent transfer is arranged. French officials emphasized that the arrangement respects both the manuscript’s preservation needs and Mexico’s cultural claim, while Mexican authorities highlighted the loan as a step toward broader repatriation efforts for indigenous heritage. The return, even on a provisional basis, is being hailed by scholars as a significant milestone in the ongoing dialogue over the stewardship of historic artifacts.