Presenting

Top: Mable Ringling at one of her many parties for the Sarasota Garden Club. Right: The Circus Museum on the Ringling Estate. world. In 1909, John and Mable visited Sarasota for the first time and saw the potential of the farming and fishing village populated by a little more than 800 people. In 1912, they bought their first home together on 20 bay front Sarasota acres called Palm Elysian. Soon afterward, they would make Sarasota the winter home for the entire circus. The Ringlings traveled the world, in search of the rare and unusual in order to grow their exotic circus and extensive art collection. In the process, they fell in love with Italy and Venetian Architecture. This discovery combined with their passion would make a huge impact on Sarasota. The Ringlings returned to build their own Venetian palace here called the Ca'd'Zan, translated from the Venetian gondolier dialect meaning "House of John." Photography courtesy John and Mable Ringling Museum The Ringling home was a magnificent tribute to the Palazzo Ducale in a Venetian Gothic Style. It displayed a combination of Roman architectural elements and Arab components, combining Islamic elements together with Gothic touches. This distinctive Italian/ Moorish look included inlaid surfaces, elaborate carved traceries, whimsical roofline crenellation, quatrefoils, finials, gothic arches and endless glazed tile, which almost engulfed the entire structure. Ringling had such an abundance of building materials and supplies brought over from Europe, that he shared the excess with local builders. Venetian glass and old red barrel roof tiles flowed into the area like Florida sunshine and started showing up on homes all around Sarasota. In fact, the only local material used in the construction of the Ringling palace was the Florida Cypress, which lined the ceiling of the great hall. The ornate building extravaganza continued at the Ca'd'Zan with the matching gate house, clay tennis courts, marble swimming pool and the famous 8,000 square-foot variegated Italian marble terrace that stretched out into Sarasota Bay. When it was all done, "The House of John" was 81 feet tall, 200 feet wide and contained thirty rooms. In 1926, the completed piece of real estate sprawled over 36,000 square feet at a construction cost of $2 million which today would be over $26 million. Continued FloridaHomesMag.com | 63

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