Anastasini Family

Acrobats, Jugglers, Animal Trainers, Circus Owners

The Anastasini family is an ancient Italian dynasty of traveling entertainers whose origins are difficult to track. The circus line began in 1877, when Sidonia and Antonia, the daughters of an Italian circus owner whose name is not known, married the brothers Luigi and Girolamo Biasini—from another family of Italian traveling entertainers. Together they created Circo Anastasini in 1877. The choice of that name remain unclear; it may have been related to Sidonia and Antonia's family: there was an Anastasini active in the late 1800s as an equestrian, and in all probability, he was Sidonia and Antonia's brother. But that doesn't mean it was their real family name.

It is also difficult to track the lineage of the Anastasinis of the twentieth century: Like all Italian circus families, they married into several other circus families. There was nonetheless a juggler, Renato Anastasini, whose sons Luciano and Giovani created a renowned Risley actAct performed by Icarists, in which one acrobat, lying on his back, juggles another acrobat with his feet. (Named after Richard Risley Carlisle, who developed this type of act.). The story of the first Circo Anastasini is also difficult to document, and it seems that it disappeared towards the end of the 19th century. However, another Circo Anastasini was created in 1910 by Luigi Biasini, and remained active until the end of WWII.

See Also

• Video: Luciano Anastasini, Dog Act, at the Big Apple Circus (2008)
• Video: The Anastasini Brothers, Risley act, at the Big Apple Circus (2014)