Mexico’s national flag features a striking image: an eagle perched atop a cactus, devouring a serpent. This symbol’s origins trace back to one of the most significant historical documents in the Americas, the Codex Boturini, also known as the Tira de la Peregrinación or the “Strip of the Pilgrimage.”
This codex tells the story of the mythical migration that gave rise to the Mexico we know today—a journey undertaken under divine guidance, in search of a prophesied sign. Scholars believe the document was created in the 16th century, after the Spanish conquest, based on earlier oral and visual traditions from the pre-Hispanic era. It may well be a copy of an even older codex.
A Unique Historical Artifact
The Tira de la Peregrinación is composed of amate paper, a traditional material made from plant fibers commonly used by the Mexica (Aztecs). It consists of 22 individual sheets joined together to form a nearly 5.5-meter-long screenfold. Unlike many other codices adorned with vibrant colors, this one is characterized by black-ink drawings.
The codex owes its modern name to Lorenzo Boturini Benaducci (1702–1755), an Italian historian who arrived in New Spain in 1736 to deliver a papal decoration to the Virgin of Guadalupe. Fascinated by Mexica culture, Boturini devoted himself to collecting manuscripts, codices, and other artifacts related to the region’s Indigenous past.

His work culminated in one of the era’s most significant collections, known as the Museo Histórico Indiano. Among its treasures was the Tira de la Peregrinación. However, in 1743, Boturini’s activities were deemed unauthorized, leading to his arrest by colonial authorities. His collection was confiscated and dispersed, and Boturini himself was exiled to Spain.
While he never reclaimed his collection, he documented his findings in the influential work Idea de una nueva historia general de la América Septentrional (1746). The Tira de la Peregrinación is one of the few surviving artifacts from his original assemblage. The codex is incomplete, with its final section missing due to damage and dispersal during Boturini’s arrest.
The Story Within the Codex
The Tira de la Peregrinación narrates the Mexica’s legendary migration from Aztlán—a name meaning “place of whiteness”—to the Valley of Mexico, where they founded Tenochtitlán in 1325 CE. Guided by the solar deity Huitzilopochtli, also known as Mexi, the Mexica sought a divine sign: an eagle perched on a cactus, devouring a serpent. This journey cemented their identity as a chosen people under the gods’ protection.
In Mesoamerican cosmology, movement symbolized the cycles of life, death, and rebirth that governed the universe. The pilgrimage from Aztlán to Tenochtitlán was interpreted as a reflection of these cosmic cycles, reinforcing the Mexica’s role in maintaining the universe’s balance.
The codex records key episodes along the migration, including battles, alliances, the invention of pulque (a fermented agave drink), and the celebration of the New Fire Ceremony. It also depicts rituals involving human sacrifices and offerings, acts seen as necessary to ensure divine favor. While the Mexica initially traveled with other groups, they eventually continued alone, following Huitzilopochtli’s instructions.
This migration was more than a territorial quest—it was a process of legitimization. By presenting themselves as a divinely chosen people, the Mexica justified their conquest of the Valley of Mexico and the establishment of their empire. The act of pilgrimage became a narrative of sacrifice and divine obedience, bolstering their claims to supremacy over rival groups.
Pilgrimage in Mexica Culture

The significance of pilgrimage extended beyond the Mexica’s foundational journey. During their imperial era, they organized sacred expeditions to places linked to the original migration, such as Chapultepec Hill and Teotihuacán. These journeys reaffirmed their divine mandate and connected their contemporary power to ancestral traditions.
Today, the Codex Boturini is considered an invaluable historical artifact. It resides in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology, where it has undergone extensive conservation and analysis to ensure its preservation and authenticate its origins.
The codex’s narrative aligns with other historical sources, such as the Codex Aubin, and oral traditions that recount the Mexica’s migration, conflicts, and symbolic acts. This consistency lends weight to its historical importance.
A Modern Legacy
The Tira de la Peregrinación is more than a record of pre-Hispanic origins; it has played a central role in shaping modern Mexican identity. Following Mexico’s independence from Spain, the myth of the Mexica’s divine migration became a cornerstone of national symbolism, even featuring prominently in the country’s flag.
The codex continues to resonate as a symbol of cultural resilience, historical memory, and national pride. It bridges Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past with its present, offering a timeless narrative that intertwines mythology, history, and identity. The Mexica’s journey, immortalized in this document, endures as a testament to their enduring influence on the cultural fabric of Mexico.