The City of Palaces is a nickname that is nearly 300 years old. The Spanish in Mexico were obsessed with building palaces to show off their wealth and strength. The nickname came from the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt who visited Mexico City in the late 18th century. He became so impressed with all the palaces that he gave the city this iconic alias.

Castillo de Chapultepec

One of two royal palaces in Mexico in which royalty actually resided, Chapultepec Castle originally belonged to the Spanish. In colonial Mexico, the highest-ranking officer was the viceroy. The viceroy was the symbol of the Spanish crown’s will and authority.

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Although the Viceroy de Galvez gave the order for the castle’s construction, he died before he could ever use it. In the early 19th century, Mexicans pushed the Spanish out of the country. After the Mexican Independence War, the Mexican royal family started to use the castle. Today, Castillo de Chapultepec is a museum.
Arturo Chavez

Palace de Iturbide

Palace of Iturbide is another royal palace of Mexico City and one of Mexico’s most important castles. In the beginning, the palace was a wedding gift for a count’s daughter. However, after Mexico gained independence, the Mexicans changed its name and made it the Palace of Iturbide.

Francisco Lopez Ortiz

The reason for this name was that the first Emperor of the First Mexican Empire Agustin de Iturbide lived in the palace and accepted...