Today I spent another day going Back in Time in Mexico City.

Our first stop of the day was Chapultepec Park. Our main reason for going to the park was to visit the Chapultepec Castle.

One of the first things that we saw in the park was a memorial to the Boy Heroes or Heroic Cadets. The six columns represent six cadets who fought to their death defending Chapultepec Castle.

The Battle of Chapultepec took place on September 13, 1847 during the Mexican-American War.

Many of the American Marines who fought in this battle would later become officers in the War Between the States. One of the leaders of the attack was George Pickett. He is better known for his role in the Battle of Gettysburg, and Pickett’s Charge which  bears his name.

Here we see the tower that is on top of Chapultepec Hill. Although now believed by some historians to be a legend, one of the Boy Heroes jumped from the roof of the castle wrapped in the Mexican flag. He wanted to keep it from falling into the hands of the American army.

The name Chapultepec means Grasshopper Hill, and the area had many different images of grasshoppers. I really liked this stained glass image as it vividly represents the name.

Chapultepec Castle is home to the Museo Nacional De Historia. My colleague is well versed in the history of Mexico and was able to explain many of the exhibits. He really impressed me as he had information about most of the displays without even reading the signs.

There were many different murals, portraits and historical artifacts on exhibit that helped tell the history of Mexico.

I could write many things about the articles in the museum, but one painting was very intriguing. This painting depicts some of the events of the Battle of Puebla.

The Battle of Puebla was between Mexico and an invading French army. The Mexican Army overcame great odds to win the battle and send the French packing. This battle may have had a big affect on the War Between the States as it has been speculated that if France had won this battle they would have then moved north and helped the Confederate Army in their battles.

The date of the battle was May 5, 1862. In the US and some regions of Mexico this victory is celebrated each year as Cinco de Mayo.

After visiting Chapultepec, we then drove to an area of Mexico City known as San Angel. We had a wonderful lunch near the plaza and then went to visit two church buildings.

The second church building we visited is known as El Carmen and was at one time a monastery and school. It is one of the oldest churches in Mexico and was built in the early 1600’s.  The three domes on the building are very beautiful.

Today the complex houses the Museo del Carmen which is one of the most visited museums in Mexico City.

When we first entered the museum courtyard we saw some interesting wooden sculptures. I may have to do more research to find out the significance of this sculpture, but it is very intriguing. This is one of two wooden heads that are in the courtyard.

I could show many pictures from the museum as it had many exhibits about the religious history of Mexico. However, there is one exhibit that is mainly responsible for the popularity of the museum.

In the basement crypt of the church there are 12 mummies on display. The mummies were discovered by troops looking for treasure during the Mexican Revolution in 1917 or 1918. The mummies are thought to be early benefactors of the monastery. Due to soil conditions the bodies never fully decomposed and so were never placed into an ossuary.

I may have to compose another post someday with pictures of each of them 😉

I hope you enjoyed this little trip Back in Time.

Steven