Ringling Estate

Monday
With another grey day in store, we decided to visit the Ringling Estate in Sarasota, the legacy left by John and Mabel Ringling, who made their fortune in the early 20th century as part of the famous Ringling family circus. The estate comprises Ca’ d’ Zan, the Venetian Gothic Sarasota Bay Mansion, the Ringling Museum of Art, the state art museum of Florida, purpose built in 1929 to accommodate John Ringling’s considerable collection of art works, the Bayfront Gardens and the Circus Museum. We have visited before, so today we concentrated on the Art Museum and gardens, both of which are free on Mondays! The museum itself houses a creditable collection of masterpieces from artists such as Rubens, Titian, Gainsborough and Velazquez. The architecture of the building is quite beautiful in itself, built in the Renaissance style, with its sunken gardens of fountains and statues. My collage shows the mansion and its surroundings as well as a couple of shots from the museum, but I’ve added a second collage in extras with more views from the museum itself. The fact that it was free today, of course meant it was fairly busy, but not so much to spoil the experience. Altogether, a wonderful day out.
Step count: 8,024