The Badianus Codex: A Link in the Chain of Knowledge

I have always been a firm believer in codifying visions. Most of my life and professional career I have dedicated to proposing projects that, beyond any tangible object in themselves, lay out a narrative of how the world could be. I have always believed that, without a guide or compass pointing the direction we are heading, we are bound to proceed blindly, run into barriers, or drift without any sense of what we want.

Structuring visions fascinates me, and I have done it across civil society, the private sector, and during my time as a public servant at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This has always kept the objective and essence of what I am pursuing front of mind, and helped me find alternatives when problems arise.

And while I enjoy building and designing visions, I am equally committed to codifying them and grounding them in key or master documents so that anyone can refer to them and absorb an innovative way of thinking.

I remember it was 2020 when I was speaking with Dr. Alejandra Moreno Toscano, and she told me about a project involving "plants." Later, in the middle of the pandemic, she would explain that what she was trying to do was bring back a facsimile edition of the unique and famous Cruz-Badiano Codex, the first herbal of the Americas, which had the distinction of being produced in New Spain, with the aim of compiling a "small" fraction of the vast variety of specimens native to these lands.

The relevance of this historical document lies in the fact that beyond being an early effort to create a plant encyclopedia, it described each specimen's functionality and included an illustration of it. This was undoubtedly an innovation at the time, combining European cataloguing science with the skill of our tlacuilos, who rendered the referenced plants with singular and outstanding beauty.

This magnificent work, despite its contrasting small physical size, was destined for King Charles V. And while we do not know with certainty whether it ever reached his hands or whether he had the chance to admire the finished work, the legacy left by the Cruz-Badiano Codex reverberates to this day.

After the facsimile's publication, which sold out quickly, the interest it generated spread so widely across collectors, scientists, and academics that it eventually reached Germany, where it aroused the curiosity of experts, researchers, and members of the pharmaceutical industry. This sparked a collaboration with several of them across different disciplines, all willing to contribute their perspectives on the codex's significance for science, botany, pharmacopoeia, and, of course, its pictorial and historical legacy.

This gave rise to a secondary project that built on the facsimile but focused on the reflections of these experts. Through Scientika, with the invaluable support of the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco campus, we assembled a new compilation of texts for a Spanish-language print edition, and English and German versions for online release.

The project El Códice de la Cruz-Badiano. Reflexiones desde la ciencia, la historia y la antropología has generated such a remarkable response that it has been presented at Mexico's most distinguished book fairs: the FIL in Guadalajara, the FIL de Antropología e Historia, the Zócalo fair in Mexico City, and, soon, the FIL in Monterrey.

The impact has been significant enough that there is genuine interest in producing a Chinese edition, given that country's equally remarkable tradition of herbal medicine and plant culture.

This project is a crucial link in how a document created in the sixteenth century continues to reverberate in our present. Ultimately, that is what knowledge is about: building links upon which more can be constructed, and which keep sparking the interest of other professionals who want to contribute from their own fields.

Perhaps at the time, the authors of this codex did not grasp that this royal commission for the King of Spain would be the beginning of a legacy whose full reach remains unknown even today. But they, without realizing it, captured a vision of a Mexico that was only just taking shape, and made the first effort to codify our herbal tradition.

The Cruz-Badiano project joins other efforts through which Scientika, over more than 15 years, particularly with José Carlos Barranco, has collaborated with Dr. Moreno Toscano to rescue snapshots from history that reveal how life was lived across different periods.

Dr. Moreno Toscano has dedicated herself to keeping our country's history alive, not only by preserving the documents themselves but by updating and reinterpreting them. Through Scientika, where we have collaborated for over 15 years, and on a personal level, I will always be grateful to her for keeping me informed of her projects and initiatives, which I must confess sometimes exceed our capacity but which I am proud to have contributed to in most cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cruz-Badiano Codex?

The Cruz-Badiano Codex is the first herbal of the Americas, produced in 16th-century New Spain. It catalogued native plant specimens with descriptions of their medicinal uses and illustrations by indigenous tlacuilos, and was originally destined for King Charles V of Spain.

Why does the Badianus Codex still matter today?

The codex continues to generate cross-disciplinary interest spanning botany, pharmacology, history, and anthropology. A modern facsimile edition sparked international collaboration that produced a multi-language scholarly volume presented at major Mexican book fairs, with a Chinese edition now under consideration.

What role did Scientika play in the Cruz-Badiano project?

Scientika, in partnership with the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Xochimilco campus, coordinated the compilation of expert reflections on the codex into a multi-language publication available in Spanish (print) and in English and German (online).