PXL_20250425_174033217

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 07:49:22 +0100

The Frigate Chapultepec

On October 11, 1887, the Ministry of War and Navy established the subjects of "Ship Movement," "Nomenclature of Nautical Terms," ​​and "Theory of Winds and Currents" for the theoretical training of naval cadets at the Chapultepec Military College. Therefore, it was necessary to have a scale model of a sailing ship to understand its composition and operation. For this purpose, several distinguished naval officers were appointed as instructors, such as Captain José María de la Vega, one of the main promoters of naval education.

The scale model is based on an early 19th-century frigate that was donated by the Mirón family in 1896 and named Chapultepec after the Military College's location at that time. The classroom where this model was displayed was nicknamed "The Little Ship" by the cadets and teachers, even after it was removed.

The frigate served several generations of cadets for their naval education until it was incorporated into the collection of what is now the Naval Museum of Mexico in Veracruz in 2005. For this reason, it was replaced by a replica to continue its educational role at the Heroic Naval Military School in Antón Lizardo.