I've always loved the spectacle of the circus, so we couldn't pass by Sarasota, Florida, without a visit to the former estate of John Ringling, one of the founders of the Ringling Brothers Circus, which made its winter home in Sarasota. Ringling and his wife, Mable, had no children, so when he died in 1936, he willed their palatial Sarasota home and extensive European art collection to the state. The Ringling also houses a terrific museum that documents the history of the circus.
The Ringlings purchased 20 acres on the Gulf in 1911, and from that point forward, they considered the small town of Sarasota their home. At one point, the family owned 25 percent of all the land in the area, which they hoped to develop into a world-class resort, similar to those they loved on the Mediterranean.
Mable Ringling designed their home, named Ca' d'Azan (House of John) in the Venetian Gothic style. Construction of the 36,000 sf, 41-room mansion began in 1924 and took two years at a cost of $1.5 million. The home is furnished with the most opulent antiques you can imagine.
And the lush gardens are filled with Italian sculpture.
The 21-gallery Ringling Art Museum houses hundreds if not thousands of works by the Old Masters.
The mansion and art collection are juxtaposed with the more lowbrow collection of circus memorabilia, including a clown car that I tested for fit.
At least our teardrop trailer is a little more spacious.
lauren, is your new VW coccinelle?
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