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MEET THE ARMANDO CRISTIANI FAMILY, Their 3 Kids Continue a Family Tradition  Submitted by Jim Cole on   8/23/2007 Last Modified CIRCUS4YOUTH EDITOR HAS WATCHED THREE GENERATIONS OF THIS CIRCUS FAMILY PERFORM In 1934 the Ringling Circus organization brought to America a truly sensational act from Italy, the Cristiani family of bareback riders.  They immediately went to the annual spring opening of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  At the conclusion of that date, they went on to join the Hagenbeck & Wallace Circus, part of the American Circus Corporation, which was also owned by the Ringling Circus organization.   This 1934 circus poster is on display at the Circus Hall of Fame in Peru, IN. At the close of the 1934 season, the Cristianis went to Peru, Indiana, to the winter quarters of the American Circus Corporation.  This is now the site of the International Circus Hall of Fame.  They remained with the Hagenbeck & Wallace Circus for 2 more seasons, and in 1937 they toured with the Al G. Barnes Circus, also owned by Ringling.  This large tented circus played mainly the Western United States. This miniature replica of the Cristiani's bareback act is part of a large model of the Hagenbeck & Wallace Circus on display at the Circus Hall of Fame. In 1938 the Cristianis were placed on the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus for their entire tour, and remained there for several seasons as a featured attraction.  At that point, the Cristiani family moved to Sarasota, FL where the Ringling circus wintered.  Several members of the Cristianis still reside in Sarasota.    (left) The Cristiani Family in 1946,                             and (right) in 2007 with Jim Cole During the mid to late 1940's the Cristianis toured with the Cole Bros. Circus (no relation to Circus4Youth editor Jim Cole) and in the 1950's went on to open their own circus called "Cristiani Bros. Circus".  That circus remained in operation until the early 1960's.  At that point, the Cristiani family individually hired out their acts to various circuses across the North American continent.   Fast forwarding to 2007 ......there are still Cristianis performing in the circus as you will see in this article.    The Cristiani Trampoline act in 1988 (L) with Armando ready to land on his brother Tino's shoulders,  and (R) Armando doing comedy trampoline in 2007.    (L) 5 year old Marchello Cristiani does a flip on the trampoline while (R) 9 year old sister Jovana assists with Dad's comedy routine. "High Five" for Dad after a good performance! ....And a Cristiani style & smile for the audience Not to be outdone by sisters Briana and Jovana! If the name Cristiani sounds familiar to you, it may be because we have done an earlier Circus4Youth article on Armando's nephew Calen and his family " Trampoline to Ice Skates". This 1973 photo is of Lucio Cristiani, grandfather to Jovana, Marchello and Briana.  He was one of the greatest circus bareback riders of all time.  Mr. Cristiani died in 1992. This 1983 photo is of their grandmother, Gilda Cristiani presenting her uncaged leopards.  Mrs. Cristiani is now retired and lives in Sarasota, FL. Armando Cristiani, who is the youngest son of Lucio and Gilda Cristiani, and his wife Lili have three children, Jovana (9), Marchello (5), and Briana (2).   While they have a home in Sarasota, Florida, when on tour, they live in a "5th wheel" travel trailer.  This summer (2007) Circus4Youth caught up with this branch of the Cristiani family at the Circus Hall of Fame in Peru, Indiana...the very site where Armando's family spent their first winter in America 73 years ago! At the begining of the show, Jovana Cristiani holds the American flag during the playing of our National Athem.    Jovana hopes to soon have her own hula hoop act (L) and practices every day.  She watches closely (R) as another circus artist performs in the ring with hula hoops, observing her every move. "The breakfast of champions" Jovana looks like an advertisment for "Chocolate Chip Crunchies Cereal" Other than being famous circus performers who have toured world wide, family life in the Cristiani household is quite normal.  I have known the Cristianis for over 40 years and have watched Armando and his brother Tino grow up.  Now I am seeing the next generation of Cristianis emerge as 6th generation circus performers.    Armando is also an accomplished juggler, and his wife Lili performs high above the circus ring on the single trapeze.  Her family, the Esquedas, have also been in the circus for several generations. Home away from home, the Cristiani's truck and trailer. Getting ready for the show with help from Mom. School time....when they are on tour, circus kids do home schooling through approved programs.  Jovana seems to be really into her lessons, but Marchello's attention is diverted to the spaghetti cooking on the stove. Your Circus4Youth editor was lucky enough to be visiting on a day that is a favorite in the Cristiani family....SPAGHETTI night!    I went back for seconds....twice, and it was so good, we had it again the next day for lunch. Armando has been up since 6 AM preparing the "Cristiani" recipe for spaghetti sauce. There's no canned Chef-Boyardee in this kitchen! Marchello enjoying the traditional "Cristiani spaghetti" 2 year old Briana Cristiani calls it "sketti" as Mom offers her a mouthful. The End   Email This Resource   Copyright © 1999-2008 Circus Fans Association of America and Authors. For more information view our  Copyright Policy & Privacy Policy .

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