Castillo de Chapultepec Mexico City

Even the history of the building of the castle in the first place is fascinating. Viceroy Bernando de Galvez ordered the castle built in 1785 as a country home. The same year, Francisco Bambitelli, engineer and Lieutenant Colonel of the Spanish Army, drew up some blueprints based on the baroque style of architecture. Shortly thereafter, though, Bambitelli was sent to Havana, and Captain Manuel Agustin Mascaro was given the duty of leading the construction. Mascaro worked fast, and he was accused of building a fortress from which to stage a revolt against the Spanish Army. After Mascaro’s sudden death in 1786, the castle was eventually used to house the General Archive of the Kingdom of the New Spain.