Yesterday the celebrations that commemorate the seven centuries of history of the Mexican capital began. The first activity, of an extensive cycle scheduled for 2025, was the opening of the exhibition The pilgrimage strip: 700 years after Mexico City, held in the Salvador Allende patio of the Old City Hall Palace.
Organized by the capital’s Ministry of Culture (SC), the exhibition opens a window to the past, so that attendees can explore the genesis of the city that, over the centuries, has been the cultural and political epicenter of the nation .
The centerpiece of the exhibition is the Boturini Codex, valuable document made during the viceroyalty, made on amate paper and composed of 22 sheets joined together in the shape of a screen.
With a length of 5.49 meters, the codex narrates the migration of the Mexica from Aztlán, the mythical place known as the land of whiteness
until their arrival and settlement in the basin of Mexico. Through its elaborate illustrations, the codex becomes an invaluable witness of the events that marked the origin of what is now Mexico City.
In the exhibition, visitors will be able to see the reproduction of 12 selected plates that offer a tour of the wars, ceremonies and key moments of the Mexica journey. In addition, they will be able to explore the meanings of Mexica symbols, such as the eagle, the cactus, and ancestral ceremonies.
myth and history
Through precise lines, human footprints and radiant glyphs, the codex creates a map that intertwines myth and history. The points that make up the Mexica route include mythical places such as Tula, Chapultepec and Colhuacán. In addition, significant moments are highlighted, such as the lighting of the new fire and the role of the teomamas, the bearers of sacred icons during the pilgrimage.
During the opening ceremony, the Secretary of Culture of Mexico City, Ana Francis López, evoked the founding myth of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. In his speech, he highlighted the symbolism of the eagle perched on a cactus with heart-shaped prickly pears, an image that represents the victory of the Sun over the Moon and which, centuries later, would become the National Shield.
The buried heart of Copil gave rise to the divine cactus, on which the solar eagle marked the promised place. Here we are, celebrating 700 years of a city that was born from a dream and that today is the seed of a nation
Lopez said.
The capital official reaffirmed the importance of recognizing history as a living force that continues to mark the destiny of the inhabitants of Mexico City. This strip is not only a document; It is the beating heart of a story that unites us. It is our root and our legacy
.
In interview with The Day, Fernando Navarrete Vega, curator of the exhibition and historian, emphasized the didactic and cultural significance of the codex, currently kept in the National Library of Anthropology and History, in the National Museum of Anthropology.
“This is one of the oldest and most valuable documents that recount the origin of the city, so it is essential to link new generations with its cultural heritage, not only as an act of preservation, but also as an opportunity to promote curiosity and learning.
Beyond reflecting our roots, the codex is a tool that will awaken curiosity and learning, especially in children, who are like sponges to absorb knowledge. We want this experience to be interactive, and that is why we consider complementary activities, such as workshops and guided tours, to make history come to life.
The curator reflected on the educational focus of the exhibition, which evokes the practices of evangelizers of the 16th century, who introduced children to knowledge through the use of images.
Today, we continue doing the same, but from our roots
concluded Navarrete, who also stressed the relevance of educational methodologies that link knowledge with ancestral traditions.
The exhibition The pilgrimage strip: 700 years after Mexico City It can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Salvador Allende patio of the Old City Hall Palace (Plaza de la Constitución 2, Colonia Centro). Admission is free.