The CREATORS

The Alexis Gruss company originated from a union formed in 1868 through the marriage of Charles Gruss, initially a stonemason, and Maria Martinetti, a member of a family of equestrians and acrobats who had been running their own big top since the 1850s. Gradually, the family's equestrian specialty became established, and by the fourth generation, Alexis Gruss brought fame to his name by founding the Cirque à l'Ancienne in 1974.

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1971

Birth of the
Alexis Gruss National Circus

1974

Triumphs of the
traditional circus

1982

Institutionalization
as National Circus

1987

Reorganization of the
Alexis Gruss National Circus

1994

Generational
handover

2005

Emergence of the
new generation

Between respected
tradition and claimed modernity

2014

Fruitful encounters from the Orange Theatre to the Avignon amphitheaters

2019

Birth of Les Folies Gruss

The NEW generation

Stephan Gruss

Artistic Director

Firmin Gruss

General Manager

Maud Gruss

Director of Horsemanship