Carlota at Chapultepec: According to court protocol, Carlota was accompanied by ladies-in-waiting selected from Mexico’s most prominent families. During her time at Chapultepec, she established charitable institutions for the poor, hosted receptions, and socialized with her ladies, while also playing an active role in political matters. When Maximilian traveled through the country, he entrusted governance to Carlota, who presided over councils, granted audiences to ministers, received ambassadors in official rooms, and issued orders. As the political crisis deepened, she decided to seek help from European courts and Pope Pius IX—efforts that ultimately failed.

This space in earlier times:

• Residence of Maximilian • Staff rooms • 1866
• Observatory • Director’s rooms • 1877
• Presidential Residence (Manuel González) • Bedroom • 1882
• Presidential Residence (Porfirio Díaz) • Boudoir • 1906
• Presidential Residence (Abelardo Rodríguez) • Salon • 1932

Recovering the palace: Among Maximilian’s various residences were the Imperial Palace (now the National Palace), Chapultepec, and the Borda House in Cuernavaca. All were lavishly decorated with tapestries, carpets, tableware, and European ornaments—acquisitions that drained both personal and public funds. When he foresaw the fall of his government and left Mexico City in late 1866, Maximilian ordered his palaces to be dismantled. Thus began a long story of loss and rediscovery. The French Boulle-style bedroom shown here was purchased by President Manuel González, who believed it had belonged to Carlota. Maximilian’s brass bed and other objects were among the furnishings left behind in the castle after his death.

This space in earlier times:

• Residence of Maximilian • Staff rooms • 1866
• Observatory • Director’s rooms • 1877
• Presidential Residence (Manuel González) • Bedroom • 1882
• Presidential Residence (Porfirio Díaz) • Blue bedroom • 1906
• Presidential Residence (Abelardo Rodríguez) • Carlota’s bedroom • 1932

The education of a princess: Princess Marie Charlotte Amélie of Belgium was just seventeen when she married Maximilian. Born into royalty—her cousin Victoria was Queen of England—she was thoroughly educated in Catholic doctrine, the sciences, arts, and politics. Before traveling to Mexico, she studied the country's history and European-published descriptions in detail. Her endless curiosity about local customs often annoyed her Mexican ladies-in-waiting, who had been raised for domestic life. Free from household duties, Carlota often spent her private moments thinking about how to govern the country and educate its people.

This space in earlier times:

• Residence of Maximilian • Wardrobe • 1866
• Observatory • Director’s rooms • 1877
• Presidential Residence (Manuel González) • Bedroom • 1882
• Presidential Residence (Porfirio Díaz) • Parlor • 1906
• Presidential Residence (Abelardo Rodríguez) • “Chinese Room” • 1932

A castle for the museum: Far from bringing peace to the country, Porfirio Díaz’s departure to Europe in May 1911 failed to prevent the continuation of the Mexican Revolution, which eventually gave rise to the modern Mexican state. Presidents continued to use the Castle as their official residence, altering its façades and interiors to suit their tastes. In this room, government leaders met with members of their cabinet to discuss and resolve public matters. President Lázaro Cárdenas moved the official presidential residence to Los Pinos and, in 1939, handed the Castle over to the people of Mexico so it could house the National Museum of History, which opened its doors in 1944.

This space in previous times...
Observatory • Meteorologist’s quarters • 1877
Presidential residence (Manuel González) • Private secretary’s office • 1882
Presidential residence (Porfirio Díaz) • Presidential council chamber • 1906
Presidential residence (Abelardo Rodríguez) • Council room • 1932

Porfirio Díaz at Chapultepec: The presidential family resided most of the year at house number 8 on Calle de La Cadena (now Venustiano Carranza), and spent summers at Chapultepec Castle, which became a venue for lavish balls and receptions. Since his youth, Díaz maintained the habit of rising before dawn, exercising, and swimming. He would issue orders and meet with his ministers early in the morning at the National Palace, the official seat of the presidency. When public affairs allowed, he would travel outside of Mexico City to Querétaro, Michoacán, or Jalisco to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes: hunting.

This space in previous times...
Observatory • Altazimuth and first vertical instruments • 1877
Presidential residence (Manuel González) • Private secretary’s office • 1882
Presidential residence (Porfirio Díaz) • Presidential quarters • 1906

A model of distinction: Carmen, the president’s wife, was the daughter of a prominent military officer whose political views opposed those of Díaz. She was described as having “qualities capable of winning over even the most demanding heart.” Educated, elegant, discreet, and devout, Doña Carmelita helped Díaz gain acceptance among groups that had been resistant to his rule. Though she kept a distance from political affairs, she contributed to his public image and often interceded on behalf of those in need. Her bedroom—like her husband’s, imported from France—reflects the European tastes that were not only present in her home but also adopted by Mexico’s upper classes.

This space in previous times...
Residence of Emperor Maximilian • Carlota’s bedroom • 1866
Observatory • Observatory director’s quarters • 1877
Presidential residence (Manuel González) • President’s study • 1882
Presidential residence (Porfirio Díaz) • Sitting room • 1906

Fertility and abundance: The stained-glass windows that give this gallery its name reflect a fascination with 19th-century European art and the Greco-Roman sources that inspired it. Commissioned by Porfirio Díaz around 1900 and crafted in Paris, the windows depict five graceful goddesses who, in mythology, embody feminine virtues. From right to left: Pomona, patron of fruit harvests; Flora, whose beauty rivals the blossoms of spring; Hebe, bearer of the divine nectar of eternal youth; Diana, the huntress and goddess of fertility and childbirth; and Ceres, guardian of agriculture, grain, and a mother’s love. Ironically, these figures adorned spaces whose opulence was hidden from the eyes of a population burdened by poverty and disillusionment.

Grand receptions: During Porfirio Díaz’s presidency, Mexico’s international relations entered a period of expansion that attracted much-needed foreign investment to modernize the country. The Castle’s grand halls hosted foreign diplomats on multiple occasions, where they enjoyed the hospitality of the presidential family. This room, known as the “Ambassadors’ Hall,” was decorated in the French style—featuring baroque and neoclassical elements—by artist Epitacio Calvo. The furniture, in the Louis XVI style, and the carpet—featuring a view of the Castle and made by the Aubusson workshop—were both produced in France.

This space in previous times...
Residence of Emperor Maximilian • Carlota’s Hall and Billiard Room • 1866
Observatory • Meteorological department and director’s quarters • 1877
Presidential residence (Manuel González) • Ballroom and annex • 1882
Presidential residence (Porfirio Díaz) • Grand Hall • 1906

"To build castles with terraced gardens"—this was how Emperor Maximilian once defined happiness. A knowledgeable enthusiast of palace architecture and garden design of his time, as well as a devoted botanist, he found in the terrace of the Castle an ideal space to bring his dream to life.

Surrounding this intimate garden—bordered by corridors with light roofs supported by slender iron columns—Maximilian would listen to and dictate his correspondence. Much like in the European palaces of the era, the inner garden was visually connected to the surrounding parkland, in this case, the forest of Chapultepec.