Chapultepec: The History and Legend of the Only Real Castle in the Americas

There are more than one hundred castles in the Americas. Virtually all of them were built between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries as recreational homes for tycoons, amusement parks or tourist destinations, in republics that had long ago severed their ties with monarchies. Among the plethora of castles in North and South America, only one can be called a true historic castle, where viceroys and monarchs once lived: Chapultepec Castle, in Mexico City.

The top of Chapultepec Hil...