CA d'Zan Mansion

Having traveled often to Europe, John and Mable came to appreciate the finer pleasures of the continent’s dazzling architecture and design. In 1924, they commissioned New York architect Dwight James Baum, to build their dream house. Though Ca d’Zan may translate from the Venetian dialect into “The House of John,” the project was always listed on Baum’s plans as “the home of Mrs. John Ringling,” and Mable was the principal contact for much of the construction and decoration of the interior. The mansion was completed in 1926, and would soon become the epicenter of cultural life in Sarasota, evoking the Venetian Gothic palaces admired by the Ringlings. Lavish parties were held with orchestras serenading guests from the Ringling yacht to the lovely marbled terrace.