It has been celebrated in paintings, novels, movies, and even popular songs. It had also sent into the limelight hitherto little known performers of immense talent, transforming them into genuine circus stars; appearing in its ring was a recognition for any circus artist.
This most Parisian of circuses was actually built by a Belgian circus entrepreneur. As legend has it, at age eleven Ferdinand "ran away and joined the circus"βin this case the Cirque Gauthiez, which was touring in Belgium.
There, as the story goes, Ferdinand trained with an acrobat and worked as a groom, learning the basics of horsemanship on the job. Ferdinand was twenty-two; Maria Theresia already had a son, Ludovicus Carolus Louis Charles , born in Bruges on July 26, , probably out of wedlock, whom Ferdinand adopted.
Louis-Charles the future Louis Fernando, was then six years old, just fifteen years younger than his new stepfather. During this time, Louis was being trained as an equestrianβagainst his will, it must be said.
While working for Dejean, Ferdinand acquired a stage name, Fernando , and most importantly, a good knowledge of the Parisian audience. He had had also ample opportunity to observe at close range how Dejean managed his circuses. The company included ten horses and five artists: Fernando and his stepson, Louis now twenty-one , the equestrian Philippe Bertoletti, the trapeze artist and equestrian Baptiste Gillardoni, and the English clown George Howard.
