Los Pinos
| Residencia Oficial de Los Pinos | |
|---|---|
 Seal of Los Pinos | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical French Eclectic |
| Address | Casa Miguel Alemán, PB, Col. San Miguel Chapultepec, 11850, Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal |
| Current tenants | President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto, First Lady Angélica Rivera and family |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Casa Miguel Alemán Casa Lázaro Cardenas Casa Anexa Jardines Plaza Francisco I. Madero Calzada de la Democracia Molino del Rey |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Multiple Manuel Giraud Esteva designed the Casa Miguel Alemán |
Los Pinos (from Spanish, The Pines) is the official residence and office of the President of Mexico. Located in the Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Forest) in central Mexico City, it became the presidential seat in 1934, when Gen. Lázaro Cárdenas became the first president to live here. The term Los Pinos has become a metonym for the Presidency of Mexico.
History
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After the Spanish Conquest, around 1550 a trapiche (mill) was built in Chapultepec, where wheat and maize were processed into flour.[1] This mill became so important that it was later called el Molino del Rey ("The King's Mill").[1]
In 1853, the Molino del Rey was sold to Dr. José Pablo Martinez del Rio, who built the Casa Grande ("Big House") that would later become known as Rancho La Hormiga ("The Ant Ranch"). In 1865 the whole property was sold to Emperor Maximilian for a total of 25,000 Mexican pesos. Following the 1867 overthrow and execution of Maximilian, the property was, in 1872, returned to Dr. Martinez del Rio.[2]
Government residence
In 1917, with the end of the armed phase of the Mexican Revolution, President Venustiano Carranza expropriated the properties, paying MX$ 886,473 for both the property and the construction of a residence that would be close to Chapultepec Castle (which at the time was used as the official residence) so that his most trustworthy cabinet member could live there. Because of this, the first inhabitant of the residence was Álvaro Obregón while he held the post of Navy and War Secretary.[1] After his tenure the residence was unused.
In 1934, President Lázaro Cárdenas took office but refused to use the Castle of Chapultepec as his official residence as he thought it too ostentatious. He was offered use of Rancho la Hormiga (English: "The Ant" Ranch), which he accepted. He changed its name to "Los Pinos" (The Pines) for two reasons: first, he did not consider the name La Hormiga to be accordant with the residence of a President and, second, he promised his wife that when he became president, the house they shared would be named after the huerta in Tacámbaro, Michoacan, where they met.[1]
Los Pinos has been home to fourteen presidents and their families. In the year 2000, President Vicente Fox chose one of the nearby "cottages" as his home and the Casa Miguel Alemán (residence of most prior presidents) was used for offices and other government functions. It was also the residence of General Joaquín Amaro.
References
- ^ a b c d "Los Pinos: historia de la casa del próximo Presidente de México". Animal Politico. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "La historia de Los Pinos". El Universal. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
