Chiarini's Royal Italian Circus

Italian-born equestrian Giuseppe Chiarini established the international circus company as the director.

The circus first traveled across America in the mid-19th century and then started abroad. In 1855, Chiarini's Italian Circus performed in Greenville, Ohio.^[1] Chiarini began touring Cuba in 1856 under the banner of the Royal Spanish Circus. He later adopted Chiarini's Royal Italian Circus, serving as the company's manager and proprietor.^[2] In 1859, a wooden circus was provisionally opened in Havana for Smith & Chiarini's equestrian troupes.^[3] In 1863, Chiarini's circus company in Havana performed at Plaza de Armas. In January 1867, Chiarini's circus headed to Mexico. After an eleven-week run in San Francisco, Chiarini advertised more shows on the Californian tour in 1868, including Sacramento, Stockton, and Marysville.^[4] The circus had left for Panama and the cities of South America by steamer in 1869.^[5]

During a visit to Auckland, New Zealand, in January 1873, the circus company held an event.^[6][7] Chiarini's company landed in Melbourne in March 1873, arriving from New Zealand. On October 8, 1874, the troupe performed in Yokohama, Japan.^[8] In November 1879, returned to New Zealand in Wellington.^[9]

In 1880, the troupe consisted of an American bison, two zebras, three full-grown Bengal tigers, three tiger cubs, eight performing dogs, over twenty well-trained horses, and six trick ponies.^[10]

Chiarini's Royal Italian Circus and Performing Animals appeared in Singapore in 1882.^[11] A performance in front of the Maharajah of Johor, whose state was located directly to the north of Singapore's Crown Colony, took place on January 30, 1883.^[12]

The troupe made an appearance in Adelaide, Australia, in 1884.^[13]

According to records, negotiations for the sale of Chiarini's menagerie and circus animals were underway with Chinese parties in 1889.^[14] Following a journey to Shanghai, just two elephants, twenty-three horses, fourteen ponies, two jacks, two goats, four monkeys, one brahma, and a large number of pigeons remained in the menagerie after part of it was sold.^[15]

The famed circus which travelled the world no longer existed upon Chiarini's death in 1897 in Panama City, Panama.

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  Visit of the Chiarini Circus to Shanghai, depicted by local painter Wu Youru.