John Ringling, one of the 5 original circus kings of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, was an entrepreneurial genius and through his success with the circus and other investments became quite wealthy. In 1911, John and Mable purchased 20 acres of waterfront property in Sarasota, Florida. In 1912, the couple began spending winters in Sarasota and decided to build a home there. (The Ringlings eventually owned 25% of Sarasota's total area and dreamed to help Sarasota become a metropolitan boom town.)
Their first project was the construction of the splendid Venetian Gothic mansion Ca' d'Zan, built between 1924 and 1926 for the then staggering sum of $1.5 million. Mable had developed an affection for Venetian buildings on their travels and had collected sketches and photos to incorporate into the design of the house which reflects her and John's taste and passion for opulence. Mable supervised the construction of the house with architect Dwight James Baum, who had also designed several NYC mansions.
