Tudela Codex

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he Tudela Codex or America's Museum Codex is a document produced in the mid XVI century in Mexico during the early colonial stage, on European laid paper. To this book, three named the Libro Indígena, Libro Pintado Europeo and Libro Escrito Europeo are joined. The first occupies pages 11 to 125 and was painted by the Indian scribes in an Pre‑Hispanic style around 1540, containing iconography and hieroglyphic writing providing information regarding Mexican or Aztec religions: types of calendar, rituals regarding disease and death, gods of the drunk, etc. The book Libro Pintado Europeo, was joined to the Tudela Codex after 1554 by means of the inclusion of a booklet at the beginning of the document, pages 1 to 10 (only four conserved), where the renaissance style of the artist shaped the drawing of various groups of Indians by man-woman couples. The Tudela Codex is of great importance because it is a first hand source for knowledge of the Mexican religion. Its value is also increased because it has been used as the basis, through its Libro Indígena copy, for another group of nine documents, some reproductions of the others, that is named Grupo Magliabechiano.

The study volume has been produced by Juan José Batalla, professor of American history of the Complutense University of Madrid.

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