Experience the enchanting world of the circus at Forte Village with Pistillo & Friends

Games, lots of fun, lights, colours and a magical atmosphere at Forte Village Resort in the heart of Sardinia.

The Circus, an enthralling blend of impressive abilities, narrative, and amusement, have a long history that dates back to ancient civilizations. The earliest records of circus performances can even be traced back to ancient Rome, where horse races and acrobatics took place in arenas.

These events, which involved games and competitions, can be seen as the origins of the contemporary circus.

The circus we know today originated in the eighteenth century, specifically in the year 1768. Philip Astley, a former horseman, established his amphitheatre in London, which featured a combination of equestrian skills, acrobatics, and clowns.

This marked the beginning of the modern circus, where the circular stage became a unique feature of future performances.

During the nineteenth century, the circus underwent further transformations and developments: new disciplines were introduced, such as juggling, balancing and aerial performances that made it a complete show for the whole family.

Itinerant circuses became popular at the time, with companies travelling from city to city, setting up tents and temporary structures for their performances.

In the twentieth century, public opinion shifted against animals being used in shows. As a result, the modern circus began to explore artistic experimentation and incorporate other disciplines such as theatre, dance, and music.

Magical Stunts: Exploring the Fascinating World of Circus Arts

The world of circus disciplines is full of excitement, skill, and performance that require agility, balance, strength, and coordination. Some of the main disciplines include:

• Acrobatics: This discipline involves agile movements, acrobatics, and human pyramids. Acrobatic performers execute routines that include jumps, rotations, and balanced positions, whether in groups or alone.
• Balancing acts: Equilibrists perform on thin or unstable objects such as tightropes, balls, rollers or boards, demonstrating remarkable stability and control of their body.
• Juggling: Jugglers manipulate objects such as balls, clubs, hoops and clubs, throwing and shooting them in a synchronised way: routines can become increasingly complex with the addition of more objects.
• Aerial: Aerial performance is a discipline that involves suspending exhibitions in the air using equipment such as trapezes, fabrics, lyra circles and vertical ropes. Performers showcase fluid movements, acrobatics and poses, highlighting their strength and agility.
• Clowning: Circus clowns entertain the audience with physical comedy, exaggeration and comedic situations. They use makeup, vibrant costumes, and theatrical skills to snatch sincere laughter and amused smiles.
• Mastierism: involves the use of tools such as diabolo, flowerstick and kendama. Artists manipulate these objects in surprising and creative ways, often synchronizing movements with the music.
• Contortionism: Contortionists demonstrate exceptional flexibility through poses and movements that defy the limits of the human body.
• Unicycle: Artists on the unicycle perform on a single wheel, performing acrobatics, jumps and even team games.
• Circus magic: circus magicians mix prestige skills with theatrical and comic elements: they stage illusions, levitations and disappearances of objects to enchant and amaze the audience.
• Flexibility and Strength: showcase the extreme physical training of the artists, who perform impressive poses that require both flexibility and “superhuman” strength.

The spectacle of Forte Village Circus

The award winning Forte Village Resort, located in the beautiful Santa Margherita di Pula, offers an enchanting circus-themed experience that appeals to both children and adults.

The Forte Village Circus with Pistillo & Friends is currently located in the gardens near Hotel Castello, featuring a vibrant marquee filled with lights and colours. From now until the end of August, audiences can enjoy three unique shows every week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. The performances showcase an array of entertaining acts such as juggling, clowning, knife throwing, and acrobatics, ranging from traditional to modern circus numbers. The thrilling performances are guaranteed to leave viewers captivated and breathless.

The company is made up of a team of professionals with backgrounds in the circus and television. They are led by Andrea Viganò, also known as Pistillo, who is a comic actor, fantasist, and mime clown performer. Pistillo was born on June 20, 1978, in Milan.

Andrea graduated from the State Institute of Art in Monza, specialised in window dressing and scenography and began his professional career first in tourist villages and then in the fashion and theatre sectors in Italy and abroad.

Starting in the year 2000, he began entertaining both adults and children. He has performed in various venues such as public squares, theatres, and amusement parks, and has participated in numerous festivals. In addition to his performances, he also teaches circus theatre and has appeared on television programs as a mime and juggler, including Striscia la Notizia and Paperissima. He has been a part of the cast for six consecutive editions of Colorado on Italia 1, which is hosted by Paolo Ruffini and Belen Rodríguez, since 2011.

Circus Academy, the circus arts school

The Forte Village Circus has a new Circus Academy by Pistillo & Friends that is open to children aged 4 to 10 from Monday to Friday, between 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM. The academy offers both group and private lessons.

A unique educational experience dedicated to circus art that combines motor activity and fun thanks to play and juggling: children will discover the disciplines of circus and theatre, learn to throw objects in the air and keep them balanced on the body, walk on stilts, do acrobatics, mime exercises and many other games and skills (Juggling balls,  scarves, rings and clubs).

With this additional activity, Forte Village Resort, in continuous renewal, confirms itself as the perfect destination for families: the little ones can practice sports and learn new disciplines in the Sports Academies such as alongside sports legends, participate in engaging artistic projects such as Forte Village’s Art Academy curated by Hervé Tullet, and make new friends and play in the Children’s Wonderland area under the watchful eye of staff educated and certified by Worldwide Kids, while parents can relax and enjoy the benefits of excellent spa treatments.

Would you like to experience the magical atmosphere of the circus in an authentic paradise? Discover Forte Village Resort in Sardinia