Top 10 Outstanding Facts About Chapultepec Castle

Chapultepec Castle 2014. Image by  Raystormxc – Wikimedia

Top 10 Outstanding Facts About Chapultepec Castle

Chapultepec castle is one of the biggest tourist attraction sites in Mexico City for many reasons.

Every year, it attracts thousands of visitors due to its magnificence and how much Mexican history it contains. The name Chapultepec comes from the Aztec language meaning the Hill of the Grasshoppers. Legend has it that the hill (located on an island) was inhabited by dangerous insects and animals and the Aztecs were banished to the hill in the hope that they would be killed by the animals. Instead, the Aztecs ate the pests and animals and conquered the island.

Thereafter, the fall of the Aztecs opened the way for a Spanish Viceroy named Bernardo de Galvez to build a home on the hill in 1785. When he left, the Mexican city built a military academy there in 1833 which resulted in most of the structures that are there in the present day.

1. The Chapultepec Castle is the only true castle in Latin America

Chapultepec Castle. Image by Ovedc – Wikimedia

The castle is the only one that has hosted true royal blood in North America. In the year 1864, Napoleon III installed Maximilian of Austria, a young prince of Habsburg lineage as Emperor of Mexico. The prince lived at Chapultepec Castle and turned the former military academy into a castle with luxurious furniture and marble floors according to the European style of the time.

Although his rule only lasted three years before he was toppled by the Mexican president Benito Juarez, he ordered the construction of the channel named Paseo de la Reforma which connects the castle and the National palace located in the center of the town.

2. It is the only place where the US flag has flown high in Mexican territory

Chapultepec Castle. Image by Arturo Chavez – Wikimedia

Walking inside the castle in the National Museum of History section, one can see parts of history about the 1847 siege of the Chapultepec castle by American forces. During the Mexican- American War, the Mexican forces barricaded themselves in the Castle from the advancing American forces.

In the end, the siege ended with the Mexican forces being defeated by the Americans and with the American flag flying high on the Castle, the only place in Mexican territory for this to happen.

However, legend has it that six young cadets were the final ones to surrender. One of the young cadets jumped from the balcony of the castle to his suicide with the Mexican flag draped on his shoulders to prevent the Americans from taking down the flag themselves.

3. It has been home to many Mexican presidents

Francisco I. Madero was President of Mexico between 1911 and 1913 when he was assassinated during the events of the Ten Tragic Days. Born into an incredibly wealthy family, he was the leader of the 1910 revolution which overthrew General Díaz, who had governed Mexico for over thirty years. This official painting hangs in Castillo de Chapultepec, his former residence. Image by the National Institute of Anthropology and History – Wikimedia

During the Mexican revolution, many presidents resided at the Castle as their official residence due to its magnificence and its status as a former military base. These presidents include Francisco I, Madero, Alvaro Obregon and Venustiano Carranzo.

Moreover, even after the war, some presidents still found the allure of the castle too strong to resist such as president Plutarco Elias Calles and Abelardo Rodriguez. This is further proof of the magnificence of the castle that Mexican presidents preferred over their formal offices and given that this was once an island allocated to the banished.

4. It is double the size of New York Central Park

Chapultepec Castle. Image by jcmar.net – Wikimedia

The castle lies on one thousand five hundred and sixty-one acres of land. That is more than double the size of New York central park. This is a testament to how large the Prince of Austria wanted to live. This might also explain why the Mexican presidents preferred to live in the castle and why it was so important to the American forces to conquer it and raise the American flag.

5. The stripes on the Mexican Marine uniform are a commemoration of those who died at Chapultepec Castle

What better way to commemorate those who defended your country against an invading force?

During the Mexican-American war, more than a thousand Mexican lives were lost trying to turn the invaders away. Although unsuccessful, it was only right that their efforts be recognized. This can be seen by the blood stripes on the blue trousers of the Mexican marines. Moreover, near the entrance to the castle is a monument to the fallen during the same war.

6. It is located in a lake that had to be drained

The painting made by Casimiro Castro in 1850 shows the Valley of Mexico and part of the Chapultepec Castle. Image by Casimiro Castro – Wikimedia

Given that the Castle is located on an island, there were plenty of flooding issues that had to be controlled. Lake Texoco is upon which the island sat when the Aztec people occupied the land.

However, soon after the fall of the Aztec Empire, the Spanish conquered the land and drained the lake to control the flooding. This paved the way for the castle to be built.

7. It is home to ancient glyphs and monuments

Chapultepec Castle. Image by Ovedc – Wikimedia

At the base of the hill near the castle, there are ancient glyphs that are carved by the Aztecs and that have lasted the test of time. One of the more recognizable rulers mentioned in the glyphs is Montezuma II. A more recent sculpture and a real piece of art is the angel wings sculpture.

8. Chapultepec Castle was turned into a museum in 1939

Chapultepec Castle garden. Image by GameOfLight – Wikimedia

Before 1939, many presidents used the castle as an official residence. But in 1939, President Lazaro Cardenas declared the castle a national museum with an intent to retain the historical artifacts and maintain them for future generations.

9. It still holds the desk upon which President Diaz signed his resignation

Chapultepec Castle Dining Room. Image by Arturo de Albornoz -Wikimedia

Although the castle retains many historical objects, perhaps the most recognizable one is the desk upon which then president Porfirio Diaz signed his resignation back in 1911. When Diaz took over as the president, he ordered many changes and even had his custom bed installed. This bed can as well be still found in the castle to this day.

10. On Sundays, visiting Chapultepec Castle is free to the public

Chapultepec Castle. Image by Rengarajang – Wikimedia

How many castles in the world can one visit for free, especially ones turned into national museums? Well, the Chapultepec Museum opens its doors to the public on Sundays for free resulting in large crowds from very early in the morning.