Interesting facts about the circus its history and information

Interesting Facts about the Circus and a Wealth of Information and Facts Related to the Circus Arena

The circus is a place that not too long ago was eagerly visited by both the young and the old, seeking entertainment and good fun. Nowadays, the circus has seen its best days, with performances under giant tents losing out to the Internet, computer games, television, and other forms of entertainment readily available. As a child, I dreamed of going to the circus with my parents and never missed an opportunity to remind them of it. Today, kids find it boring, and the coolest performances can be watched online.

In the article below, you will find interesting facts about the circus, its origins, history, as well as famous circus schools and many other fascinating pieces of information that we have gathered for you.

Interesting facts about the circus and the history of the most famous circus arenas of antiquity

• The capital of the circus is ancient Rome, where the tradition of performances, often bloody, for the amusement of the audience was born.
• Large-scale entertainment spectacles also appeared in Ancient Egypt, although they had a more religious character.
• Alexander the Great created a type of circus that resembled today’s zoo. Dozens of animals brought from all over the conquered world were a giant attraction. Unlike the Roman circus, animals were well cared for here.
• The circus, or rather the building serving as an arena with an audience, is also called a hippodrome.
• The Roman circus was the equivalent of earlier Greek stadiums, where athletes, actors, and artists showcased their skills.
• The first and largest circus in Rome was the Circus Maximus. It lay between the Roman hills of Palatine and Argentine, and its origins date back to the 6th century BC.
• The Circus Maximus in Rome was enormous, capable of holding over 250,000 people. It was more than half a kilometre long and nearly 130 meters wide.
• The most famous circus of antiquity is the Colosseum in Rome.
• In the earliest circuses, horse races, chariot races, equestrian shows, re-enactments of legendary battles, gladiator fights, and wild animal training took place.
• From the grounds of the Circus Maximus comes a gigantic obelisk, which was moved by order of the Pope and now stands in Piazza del Popolo.
• Another form of circus was the naumachia, a similar structure, but instead of an arena, it had a pool of water in the central part where naval battles were re-enacted.
• With the fall of Rome, the tradition of the circus as a place of entertainment disappeared. Only in Byzantium were chariot races and equestrian shows still cultivated.
• The Greeks were the first to train and teach tricks to domestic animals, such as dogs and horses.

Interesting facts about the circus and its modern history

• With the end of the ancient world, the circus ceased to play its important social role, and artists began to form small troupes consisting of actors, jugglers, dancers, and jugglers.
• Over time, the number of artists in the travelling troupes increased, and they were joined by mimes, athletes, strongmen, fortune-tellers, and animal trainers.
• The performances of travelling circuses took place in town squares or areas just outside the city walls. This is still the case today.
• Travelling circus performers completely lost their elevated status remembered from antiquity and were treated more like beggars and vagrants than artists.
• In the Middle Ages, circus artists travelled with sellers of miracles, relics, or cures for all diseases. Therefore, circus performances were often combined with city fairs.
• The greatest threat to the circus was the church. Clergymen viewed the artists as competition because people preferred to watch jugglers’ performances rather than devote themselves to prayer. Therefore, until the end of the 17th century, deceased travelling artists were buried on unconsecrated ground, and in churches, during masses, the circus was attributed with the worst qualities.
• One of the groups that contributed to the development of the medieval circus were the travelling Gypsies.
• The circus evolved and over time began to resemble the one we know today. Tightrope walkers, jugglers, comedians, and dancers appeared in the portable arenas.
• In England, the first show of horse training and horseback riding appeared. The first serious circus equestrian group was created by Philip Astley in 1769. Thanks to his idea, the first permanent arena for equestrian performances was established in London.
• It was also Philip Astley who first used a canvas tent to cover the circus arena. It was meant to protect the artists and the audience from the rain, after all, this was happening in England.
• Philip Astley went down in history as the father of the modern circus.
• The Englishman’s idea turned out to be a great business venture. His circus attracted giant crowds, and soon similar arenas began to appear all over England, and then in Europe.
• Another precursor of today’s circus was Charles Hughes, founder of the Royal Circus in London. It was there that the first tightrope walkers and trainers of animals such as dogs, foxes, and even deer appeared.
• Have you ever wondered why the circus arena is round? It is precisely because of the performances of animal trainers, especially horses.
• Over time, exotic animals and artists from distant parts of the world began to appear in the circus.
• In 1805, Charles Hughes took his circus to Russia, starting a new era of the circus in which Russian artists would play a significant role.
• In 1793, the first Olympic Circus in Italy was founded, which operated until 1907 and is still considered one of the most beautiful and interesting circuses of that time.

The circus in the 19th century is a dark page in its history

• In the 19th century, there was a tremendous boom in circus arts. Large groups of artists from Great Britain, France, and Russia travelled across Europe, showcasing their performances and developing new art forms.
• Artists from Europe began travelling to the United States, leading to the emergence of the first circus troupes there as well.
• In the second half of the 19th century, hundreds of significant circuses were operating in Europe, and circus families began to form.
• Circuses of that time resembled small towns, housing numerous artists and hundreds of animals.
• Circuses were joined by amusement parks with carousels and other attractions. Food stalls offering unusual foods and even the first fast foods appeared.
• At a certain point, competition among the circuses was so fierce that owners began to offer increasingly grotesque attractions.
• A dark period in circus history saw the emergence of freak shows and human anomalies. Deformed people, as well as the sick and disabled, were exhibited in cages or even in the main arena.
• Over time, clowns took over the role of freaks, entertaining and amusing the audience between main performances.
• The largest 19th-century circuses could accommodate several thousand spectators.
• Many stationary circuses were also established in Europe. The most famous were the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris and Circus Schumann in Copenhagen.
• In Russia, the circus gained such popularity that special schools were established to train future circus artists. Russian artists are still considered the best in the world today.
• The circus also made its way to Asia. In China, acrobatics primarily developed.
• An important element of the circus from that period was the beautiful and colourful parades that artists organized when arriving in a new city. Besides providing obvious entertainment, the parades served as a form of promotion and advertisement for the circus.
• Hot air balloons were a very popular circus attraction. At that time, anything related to flying sparked enormous interest.

Circus in the 20th century, which is considered the golden era of circus art

• In the 20th century, travelling circuses became more popular than their stationary versions.
• There were more animals in circuses than in the previous century.
• Artists from all over the world appeared, bringing fresh ideas to new areas of circus art.
• It is believed that today’s artistic routines originate almost entirely from the early 20th century, as it is difficult to invent something entirely new.
• The circus became accessible to everyone, and the audience included every social group, which was previously rare.
• Over time, a movement emerged defending animals from the dangerous and difficult performances that their trainers forced them to do.
• Clowns became a critical part of the circus, and special schools for these artists were established.
• The circus became increasingly modern. From a poor arena covered with flimsy canvas, it transformed into a modern interior illuminated by electricity and with heated spaces.
• The peak of the circus’s popularity was the interwar period. Many circuses were established then, which continue to travel around the world to this day.
• A new field of circus art emerged: stunt performers, who performed difficult and very dangerous tricks.
• In the second half of the 20th century, most circus animals were no longer taken from the wild but were descendants of circus animals.
• Even before the widespread advent of television, circuses were so popular that they often had to extend their stay in a city. The interest was so great that there were sometimes riots in the streets.
• The best circus artists gained enormous popularity and were recognizable on the streets.

Interesting Facts about the Circus and a Wealth of Information and Facts Related to the Circus Arena

• In 1944, in Hartford, England, the greatest tragedy in modern circus history occurred. A fire that broke out during a performance resulted in the deaths of 169 people and injuries to over 700.
• In the early 20th century, a type of advertising exclusively for the circus emerged in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of posters, bills, and other forms of circus advertising were printed.
• The competition between individual circuses was so intense that regular “wars” broke out among the artists.
• In the 19th century, a floating circus was established in the USA on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.
• Circus arts involving animals are gradually disappearing. Public awareness of animal suffering during training has made us realize that it is possible to have just as much fun without seeing animals perform unnatural acts.
• June 8th is celebrated as Animal-Free Circus Day.
• The largest circus currently is the Canadian Cirque du Soleil.

The circus is an ancient form of entertainment that has experienced both highs and lows. Personally, I believe that the circus is a fantastic place to encounter unique artists and watch entertainment programs with a history that dates back to ancient times. If you know of any noteworthy circuses, we would be delighted to hear about them and share your information with our readers.

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