An Italian Family Circus

The Zoppé Family Circus has an amazing, unique story. The Zoppè Family Circus emerged 179 years ago to become one of the legendary circuses in all of Europe. And like many good legends, it begins with a boy and a girl falling in love.

Napoleone Zoppè began his career in Budapest, Hungary where he met a ballerina named Ermenglida and founded a circus in Venice, Italy which still bears their name today.
Alberto Zoppè, Napoleone's great-grandson, inherited the circus, a grand equestrian in his own right. Alberto toured Europe with the circus since his youth and forged a friendship with famed actor/director Orson Welles. Alberto was then offered a job by John Ringling North of Ringling Brothers fame, who was putting together the circus acts for Cecil B. Demille's Oscar-winning film, The Greatest Show on Earth.

Alberto would remain in America and together with his wife Sandra, he has ushered in a new generation to continue the family tradition. His son, Giovanni revived the Zoppè Family Circus six years ago and has since been building its reputation with audiences and critics as an enchanting exhibition of traditional European circus. Giovanni is grateful for his family keeping the tradition alive, especially his father who performed with the circus into his eighties and managed to wow the crowd every time he stepped into the ring.