The Work of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún (1499-1590)

The work of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún (1499-1590) constitutes one of the most renowned historical works on ancient Mexico. He deserves to be recognized as a pioneer of modern anthropology, given that his work is a consummate example of research in this discipline.The Matritense Codex, also known as the First Memorials and Manuscripts of Tepeapulco, is kept in the libraries of the Royal Academy of History and the Royal Palace Library in Madrid. It is composed of the Primeros Memoriales; Memoriales Complementarios; Memoriales en Tres Columnas; Memoriales con Escolios and Memoriales en Español, as Francisco del Paso y Troncoso called them.The Florentine Codex is held at the Laurentian Library in Florence. The manuscript is laid out in two columns, with texts in Nahuatl and Spanish, and spans 12 books in three volumes. Diego Panes made a copy of the manuscript in the 18th century that he later brought to New Spain. In 1830, Don Carlos María de Bustamente used this version to make the first Mexican edition of the “General History of the things of New Spain”. Henceforth, all Spanish editions bear this title. Undoubtedly, Sahagún´s body of work highlights his role as a translator in the reconstruction of the history, identity and culture of this people.