Giuseppe Chiarini (circus director)

Italian circus owner (1823-1897)

Giuseppe Chiarini

Born|

Giuseppe Chiarini

1823

Rome, Italy

Died| 1897

Panama City, Panama

Other names| Signor Chiarini
Occupations|

* Equestrian
* Circus owner

Giuseppe Chiarini (1823 – 1897) was an Italian equestrian, horse trainer, and international circus owner.

## Early history

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Giuseppe Chiarini was born in Rome, Italy in 1823.[1] Born into a renowned Italian dynasty, his father was a trick rider and trainer of horses.[2]

## Circus life

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Giuseppe became a pupil of Henri Franconi, and his trained horses were featured for a period among Franconi's show attractions.[3] After studying under Franconi, the Italian equestrian opened his own circus in 1847 and made his way to America, where he began in San Francisco.[4][5]

On June 28, 1852, Chiarini performed an equestrian act at the Astley's Royal Amphitheatre Programme.[6]

Soon after, he traveled with his company to Cuba which was under Spanish colonial rule and established a circus in Havana.[7] Between 1853 and 1856, he had begun touring the island of Cuba under the Royal Spanish Circus. He later adopted the name Chiarini's Royal Italian Circus, also known as Chiarini's Circus and Menagerie, acting as the manager and proprietor.[8]

He travelled to Mexico around 1864 where he established his circus.[9] While visiting Mexico, he staged a private exhibition at Chapultepec Castle.[10] Maximilian I of Mexico reportedly bestowed Chiarini with a white Arabian thoroughbred named "Abd-el-kader" during his visit.[8] The horse had a reputation for being untamable, yet Chiarini tamed it within 15 days.[10] He then toured Chile, where the country's president presented the skilled equestrian with an Italian stud horse named "Garibaldi."[8] Continuing his South American tour, he set up the circus at the corner of Avenida Tucumán and Calle Libertad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1869, and returned in 1870.[11] Chiarini went back to Europe next, gaining popularity in Lisbon and Madrid.[10] The circus owner embarked on journeys to China and Brazil with his troupe.[7]

In 1884, Chiarini travelled with his renowned circus to Adelaide, Australia.[12] He reached Manila in May 1886, where he established himself in the Philippine city's entertainment scene for two months.[13] Arriving in Japan by July 1886, Chiarini made his debut in Tokyo and spent September and October touring the Kantō region.[14] His troupe performed before Emperor Meiji on November 1, 1886.[15]

## Family

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He had a son, Ernesto Abel Chiarini, with an American woman from Boston named Serafina Fleres.[16]

## Death

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Chiarini died in 1897 at the Hotel Americano in Panama City, Panama.[17]

## References

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1. ^ Dictionary of Sydney. (n.d.). Chiarini, Guiseppe. Retrieved May 27, 2024, from https://dictionaryofsydney.org/person/chiarini_guiseppe
2. ^ Champad, S. (2013). An album of Indian big tops : (history of Indian circus). Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co.
3. ^ Chindahl, G. L. (1959). A History of the Circus in America. United States: Caxton Printers.
4. ^ Thétard, H. (1978). La merveilleuse histoire du cirque: Suivi de Le Cirque depuis la guerre. France: (Julliard) réédition numérique FeniXX.
5. ^ The Great Parade: Portrait of the Artist as Clown. (2004). United Kingdom: Yale University Press.
6. ^ University of Sheffield Library Special Collections. (n.d.). "Astley's Royal Amphitheatre Programme, Monday 28 June 1852 and during the week". Retrieved May 27, 2024, from https://archives.sheffield.ac.uk/repositories/2/archival_objects/4634
7. ^ a b Jando, D. (2003). Big Apple Circus. Hong Kong: Big Apple Circus.
8. ^ a b c "Chiarini's Circus. Auckland Star, (1872, November 9)". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
9. ^ Cite error: The named reference `Jando, D. (2003)` was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
10. ^ a b c Renevey, M. J. (1977). Le Grand livre du cirque. Switzerland: Bibliothèque des arts.
11. ^ Abad de Santillán, D. (1965). Historia argentina. Argentina: Tip. Editora Argentina.
12. ^ State Library of South Australia. "Tiger and Taxidermists". Retrieved May 27, 2024, from https://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/tiger-and-taxidermists
13. ^ Liebersohn, H. (2019). Music and the New Global Culture: From the Great Exhibitions to the Jazz Age. United Kingdom: University of Chicago Press.
14. ^ Keene, D., Virgin, L. E., Morse, A. N., Sharf, F. A. (2001). Japan at the Dawn of the Modern Age: Woodblock Prints from the Meiji Era, 1868-1912, Selections from the Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. United States: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
15. ^ Tierney, R. K. (2002). Wrestling with Tradition: Sumo, National Identity and Trans/national Popular Culture. United States: University of California, Berkeley.
16. ^ The Billboard. (1932). United States: R.S. Littleford, Jr., W.D. Littleford.
17. ^ "Chiarini, Guiseppe | State Library of New South Wales". dictionaryofsydney.org. Retrieved 2024-05-29.

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Catalonia