Chapultepec Castle

I love murals and think that being a mural painter would be the coolest job, so I particularly enjoyed our visit to Chapultepec Castle yesterday in Mexico City. The castle was originally built in 1775 and has since been a military academy, home to Emperor Maximilian I and his wife, presidential residence, and an observatory. Today it is home to the National Museum of History. The museum contains hundreds of interesting artifacts of Mexican history, but to me, the murals were the most fascinating.

Mexican Muralism emerged after the Revolution to document and narrate Mexican history. The murals show historical events, political and social struggles, religious and cultural matters. The artists are able to paint events as they see them, inserting opinion, dissent and support through their art. Our guide explained to us what each mural signified and pointed out the characters and symbolism depicted in them.