Circus Togni, Italy , was founded in 1880. Circus Togni closed down in 1951.
Circus Togni was founded by Aristide Togni (1853-1924), a university student who, in the 1870s, ran away and joined the Circo Torinese, a circus company headed by Giovanni De Bianchi. Togni married Giovanni\'s daughter, Teresa De Bianchi. Together, they created a circus company of their own. The King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, awarded Circo Togni the title of Circo Nazionale in 1919. Aristide Togni and Teresa De Bianchi had three sons; Ercole Togni (1894-1958), Ugo Togni (1897-1981), and Ferdinando Togni (1900-1990). Although the circus survived and performed safely during WWII, the Circo Nazional Togni was devastated by a fire in 1951. Ercole, Ugo, and Ferdinando (Nandino) decided that it was time to split their ever-growing family within three separate circuses. Ercole\'s children were Darix Togni, Wioris, Wanet, Leda, and Doly. Their new circus took the name of Circus Darix Togni. Ugo Togni had four daughters, Angly, Wally, Missi, and Lidia Togni (Circus Lidia Togni), and two sons, Cesare Togni (Cesare created his Circo Cesare Togni) and Oscar Togni (Oscar Togni opened a small Circo Oscar Togni in the 1990s, which had only a brief existence). After WWII, Ferdinando Togni created one of the Europe\'s most remarkable circus with his children Adriana Togni (b.1928), Bruno Togni (1931-1988), Willy Togni (1929-2007), and Enis Togni (1933-2016). In 1954, they launched the Circo Ferdinando Togni. The circus grew, temporarily merged with Germany\'s Circus Williams, under which name the circus toured. By 1960, the Tognis started a big three-ring circus called Circo Heros: It was one of Europe\'s largest circuses, and for a decade, it toured regularly in Italy, Germany, and Holland. After switching the names Heros and Americano all through the 1960s, the Ferdinando Togni family stuck definitely with Circo Americano in 1975.
