everything, John Ringling donated his mansion and European artwork to the city of Sarasota. His home, which feels like a palace, and his art collection are now part of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, known as The Ringling. This is Florida’s official art museum. Every Monday, admission to portions of the museum is free, and we were thrilled to tour these areas. Walking into the ornate art museum, which is decorated to the hilt in a fanciful way that only a circus man would think to do, we were astonished by the series of 8-foot-tall paintings that covered the towering walls. Created by Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens in the 1620s, these jaw-dropping paintings are a fitting opening act for this magnificent collection. We wandered from room to room admiring artwork by many of the greatest painters prior to 1900. The grounds of the museum are equally majestic. A massive courtyard surrounded by the pink- columned facade of the museum is filled with statuary and meticulously pruned landscaping.
At the head of these immense gardens stands a replica of Michelangelo’s David between a row of palm trees. The Ringling mansion itself overlooks Sarasota Bay and resembles a castle embellished with fairy-tale turrets and colorful decorations. A massive-patterned marble patio enclosed by stone railings extends from the castle walls to a boat dock on the bay. What a place for an elegant outdoor party. Out back, we found Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden where many varieties of roses were in bloom. We saw just a portion of The Ringling on this trip and want to return to see more. Visitors can purchase a 3-day pass to see the entire estate at leisure, including the Circus Museum, and there’s no doubt it would take that long to see it all. Sarasota is for the Birds. A trip to Jungle Garden made for a fun afternoon excursion. Finding ourselves in the middle of
Views of The Ringling, including the John and Mable Ringling Museum.
SARASOTA
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