Transnational Circus Performers in Manila: Foreign Troupe and Spectacle, 1880s–1890s
The modern circus of the 19th Century--Eventually reached the Pacific shores In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the modern circus—born from Europe’s equestrian shows and America’s traveling spectacles—sailed across oceans and found a home in the colonial port cities of Asia. Manila audiences embraced the circus as a popular form of entertainment, eager to see marvels that broke the routine of daily life. The first major circus to arrive in Manila was Giuseppe Chiarini’s Royal Spanish Circus. Chiarini, an Italian equestrian born in Rome in 1823, had built a global reputation as a horse trainer and impresario. By the mid-1850s, he managed his own shows and founded Chiarini’s Royal Spanish Circus, known for disciplined horsemanship. He toured the Caribbean and Latin America, famously building a 3,000-seat amphitheater in Mexico City and performing for Emperor Maximilian. Giuseppe Chiarini (1823-1897) In June 1882, Chiarini brought his circus to Manila, erecting his large t...