Within walking distance of my apartment sits Chapultepec Castle, former home of royals Maximilian I and Empress Carlota. Several Mexican presidents have resided here as well, including Francisco Madero and Alvaro Obregon (the same guys who have thousands of streets named after them throughout Mexico).
Aside from being the previous residence of Mexico’s politicians, the castle has also served as a military academy and an astronomical observatory (see photo below).
The castle has been restored to reflect its royal history, with many rooms recreated to look the same as they did back in the day.
Amazing stained glass pieces adorn the entire length of this passageway, which were made in Paris on Porfirio Diaz’s behalf. They feature five mythological goddesses of harvest and fertility.
The castle is an easy walk from metro station Chapultepec. It’s open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. It costs 51 pesos (around $4) to enter. Use of a video camera costs extra. Friday seemed like a popular day for field trips, so it’s recommended to go on a different day if possible.
