The Codex Azcatitlan, a 16th-century pictographic manuscript that details the history of the Mexicas, has returned to Mexico after being away for 186 years. The codex, which had been stored at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) since 1898, was displayed at the Museo nacional de antropología in Mexico City starting on September 17, 2026. This French loan was part of a reciprocal exchange started in November 2025 by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and French President Emmanuel Macron, which celebrated the bicentenary of Franco-Mexican diplomatic relations. The Hñähñu community of Ixmiquilpan, in the State of Hidalgo, had suggested the temporary return of the Azcatitlan. The codex, created on European paper and combining Mesoamerican and European graphical styles, records the migration of the Mexicas from Aztlán to Tenochtitlan, the reigns of nine rulers, and the arrival of the Spaniards. Scientific studies suggest the codex originally had 50 pages, with six missing early on. The Mexican Secretariat of Culture noted that 20 pages are currently preserved, though the reason for the difference in numbers was not clarified. Only two pages are on display at the museum, with the exhibition planned to end on December 6, 2026. The return of the Azcatitlan coincides with the temporary loan of the Codex Boturini, also known as the Tira de la Peregrinación, from Mexico to France. The Codex Boturini, a 16th-century manuscript made of 22 sheets of amate paper folded into an accordion, details the migration of the Mexicas. It will be displayed in the Mazarin gallery of the BnF from September 19 to December 14, 2026, under a legal arrangement that prevents its sale or transfer during its stay. While the current exchange is described as temporary and reciprocal, debates over the restitution of cultural artifacts continue. A proposed bill in the French Senate, introduced by Mathilde Ollivier and others, aims to transfer the Codex Azcatitlan and the Codex Borbonicus, held by the National Assembly library, to Mexico. As of September 19, 2026, the bill remains at the first reading stage in the Senate. However, the current loan is not considered a full restitution, as the codex remains under a patrimonial loan agreement.