Chapultepec: The Seat of Power

By Maria Bozic
Chapultepec, seed of power through the centuries. Nothing could be more true as you walk up the middle of chapultepec park in the heart of Mexico City, up the hill to the breathtaking view of the city. This is where Castillo de Chapultepec is situated, but long before it was a royal castle it was the precise location of where the Aztecs first settled before becoming one of the most formidable civilizations in Mexico.

The legend has it that the Aztecs came to Tenochtitlan to find work as soldiers to protect the city, they were rough and tough nomads that took a liking to the great city, the people of Tenochtitlan didn’t particularly care for the Aztecs and conveyed to them to reside on the top of grasshopper hill (chapultepec), knowing there were poisonous snakes and the Aztecs would not be a nuisance anymore and off they went. Months later the city was attacked by the brawny Aztecs, little did the locals know that snake was the favored meal for them, and so they got stronger, and decide to take over Tenochtitlan!

In 1864, after years of constructing, Maximilian I of Mexico and Empress Carlota built their imperial residence on top of the hill which was known to be a sacred place of the Aztecs. It was designed to exude neoclassical style all throughout, with an aerial garden, exquisite furniture from Europe and estate rooms this castillo was a beacon of nobility. In 1939 the Castillo was declared apart of el Museo Nacional de Histroria. Now thousands of people come to see the extravagance of the only royal castle in Northern America that represents the resilience, culture and power of Mexico.  

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Capultepec Park, Mexico City

Official Website

http://www.castillodechapultepec.inah.gob.mx/index_2.html

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Maria Bozic, “Chapultepec: The Seat of Power,” HistoricalMX, accessed April 19, 2024, https://www.historicalmx.org/items/show/121.