Trapezes and artists: world’s oldest circus restored to original glory in Paris | Circus

Cirque d’Hiver, the world’s oldest circus, has performed many breathtaking shows for over 170 years.

In 1859, gymnast Jules Léotard, whose name became synonymous with the one-piece, wowed audiences for the first time in public by throwing herself from one swinging trapeze to another without a safety net.

Half a century later, when circus performer Rosa Van Been married animal trainer Joseph Bouglione, the blessing was held in the circus’ lion cage; In 1955, the film Trapeze, starring Gina Lollobrigida, Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster, was shot in a magnificent 20-sided building in the 11th arrondissement of Paris.

But today, the wow factor comes not from bold moves in the ring or smoke and mirrors, but from the unearthing of an extraordinary panorama of painted canvas panels hidden for over 70 years.

Following the discovery, Cirque d’Hiver, whose name means Winter Circus, is planned to be fully restored to its original 19th-century glory.

Louis-Sampion Bouglione, whose family has run the circus since 1934, said: “It’s amazing to see them and such an important part of our history. We knew they once existed because my father remembered seeing them, and we always hoped to rediscover them one day. But we were afraid of what condition they would be in, even if they were still there.”

Bouglione, the circus’s co-manager and historian, researched the archives for decades and admitted that he often lay awake at night wondering what the building looked like when Napoleon III officially opened it on December 11, 1852.

“We only saw two [panels] “So far, but we’re going to open everything up to find out what’s there,” he said. “What’s really exciting and important is that this is one of the few legacies of the circus from that period in painting.”

After the Cirque d’Hiver, listed as a heritage building, underwent a €2.2 million exterior renovation in 2007, the initial plan was to replace the rows of red seats around the ring. Architect Stéphane Millet, who also renovated the stage at Opéra Garnier, proposed a more ambitious project.

“One of my missions is to raise awareness of the importance of heritage and seek government help for projects, so I convinced the family to go a little further than their initial goal,” Millet said.

“What started with seats has turned into an all-encompassing global project, a complete renovation. When you have a legacy like this, you need to showcase it.”

The nation enlisted the culture ministry and other officials to finance the bulk of the project, which it said would cost “several million euros”.

Cirque d’Hiver, originally called Cirque Napoléon, was built in just eight months under the direction of Jacques Hittorff, the architect responsible for the Gare du Nord. The original polygonal structure was 42 meters in diameter, had 40 stained glass windows and a wooden roof covered with ornate canvases designed to look like tents, complete with faux poles and hand-painted gold-painted moldings resembling ropes and ties.

The original 20 paintings, 6 meters wide and almost 2 meters high and attached to wooden frames, depict warriors on horseback and scenes dedicated to equestrian arts. Created by Nicolas Gosse and Félix-Joseph Barrias, highly sought-after painters of their time, these sculptures echo the bas-relief panels on the exterior of the building, which was renovated in 2007.

The first performers were former cavalry officers, but the actions soon diversified. Léotard would later inspire the popular British song The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze, “Flying through the air with great ease”, written three years before his death in 1870, aged 32. Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, was said to have been inspired by the beauty of the interior and wrote that the performances were so popular that crowds had to be turned away.

Today, wild animals are no longer used in the shows (they stopped in 2017) and are still very popular with Parisians. The building is the symbol of the city.

The renovation work, which is expected to last four years, will begin in July with the completion of the paintings. It is removed for restoration. Clad in blue-painted wooden boards after they became dull in the 1950s from smoke from the original oil lamps, they are thought to have suffered further damage from leaky windows and several successive layers of decoration.

“It looks like wallpaper in old houses. We won’t know exactly what’s there and how much damage there is until we remove everything,” Millet said. “The canvas is very fragile, but from what we can see, it is a wonderful work. The fact that the panels have survived to this day is proof of the quality of the painting.”

For Bouglione, the circus is very much a family affair. When Rosa Bouglione died in 2018 at the age of 107, she left behind 55 grandchildren, including her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Several additions have been made since then. Of the 20 family members currently involved with Cirque d’Hiver, Louis-Sampion’s father, Émilien, is the oldest at 91 years old and the youngest is three years old.

“It’s a family and everyone is involved in one way or another, even if it’s the little things. It’s a business and we found a way to make sure they both succeed,” Bouglione said.

Apart from the spectacular winter circus featuring an orchestra of nine musicians, the building has also been used for special events and political rallies in recent years.

The next few years will be a juggling act to ensure the circus show continues each winter while renovations are carried out during the two-month summer holidays, but Bouglione is confident they can keep all the balls in the air.

“We will do the work during what we call the off season,” he said. “It will take a long time, but we cannot close it. It’s a business and that’s why it has to work. Also, people are passionate about circus. They come as children, then they come with their own children and grandchildren. It’s a tradition.”