The Amazing Ringling Mansion on Sarasota Bay
CÃ d’Zan, John and Mable Ringling’s Venetian Gothic mansion on Sarasota Bay, offers an excellent historic destination to consider when taking a Florida vacation. The house is 200 feet long with 32 rooms and 15 baths, built to satisfy the famous Ringling family (Ringling Bros. Circus). The mansion is topped by a 60-foot tower, which the Ringlings kept illuminated when they were in residence.
The massive structure was originally designed to combine the architectural features of two of Mrs. Ringling’s favorite Venetian hotels: the Danieli and the Bauer-Grunwald. Those who vacation in Florida marvel at the materials used in the home. Bricks, terracotta blocks and poured concrete were the primary construction materials.
Terracotta was also the principal decorative material used - both for the interiors and exteriors of the house. The glazed terracotta finishes could best withstand Florida’s brilliant sun, which is perfect for Florida vacations but quickly weathers and ages buildings.
Mable Ringling personally visited the kilns that fired the terracotta materials to ensure the colors - soft red, yellow, blue, green and ivory - were precisely what she wanted. As those who enjoy Florida vacations or live in the state are aware, colorful patterns dominate decorating schemes - especially by the beach. Mable’s home was no exception. She had thousands of old, red barrel tiles shipped from Barcelona for the roof.
A terracotta rail supported by posts of the same material encloses an 8,000-square-foot terrace of diversely colored marble overlooking Sarasota Bay. This terrace may still be enjoyed by those stopping by during a Florida vacation today. Thirteen steps of English veined marble lead down to a dock where Ringling’s yacht, Zalophus, was kept. Mable’s gondola rested opposite the terrace on a miniature island washed away by a hurricane in1926 - the same year in which the two moved into the mansion.
CÃ d’Zan - meaning “House of John” in Venetian dialect - took two years to build at a cost of approximately $1.5 million. The interior furnishings added another $400,000 to the cost. These furnishings included a $50,000 Aeolian organ, a Steinway grand piano with a heavily ornamented rosewood case, 17th-century Flemish and English tapestries, and other furnishings and works of art. Those who vacation in Florida and behold these lavish items are stunned.
Mable died in June of 1929 at the age of 54, just two-and-a-half years after CÃ d’Zan was completed. John died in 1936 at the age of 70. He willed his collection of art, known as the Museum of Art, the mansion and the grounds to the state of Florida. Ten years passed before his estate was settled, when the Museum opened its doors in 1946 for Florida vacationers and locals. In July of 2000, Florida legislation appointed Florida State University as the guardian of the Ringling’s estate. Take a Florida vacation to behold the brilliance of this unique property.