You are standing on the waterfront terrace of a four-story, 32-room mansion with 15 bathrooms and only one shower that was once owned by circus tycoon, John Ringling. John called his home Cà d'Zan, meaning House of John. Seeking to gain the respectability that circus folk were so often denied, he built a Venetian-styled palazzo that looked as if it belonged on Venice's Grand Canal. Here, he entertained often. Guests included Will Rogers, Florenz Ziegfeld, and Thomas Edison, as well as politicians, industrialists and celebrities of the era. John also built an art museum in the style of an Italian villa to house his growing collections of art that he purchased, while in Europe searching for new acts for The Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus, "The Greatest Show On Earth." Unfortunately, John spent only three winters here. He died in 1936, just two weeks before his creditors were to foreclose on The House of John.

John left Cà d'Zan and his vast art collection, including paintings by Peter Paul Rubens and Van Dyck and other Baroque masters, to the state of Florida. The state, however, neglected the property and art treasures that he bequeathed. By the time the state launched a restoration effort in 1996, Cà d'Zan was nearly beyond repair. The accuracy of the exterior restoration was made possible by purchasing, on eBay, 80 photographs taken of the mansion during construction. Where in America are you, anyway? Name the city and state where John built Cà d'Zan and owned 2000 acres of the surrounding area, as well as 1/3 of Longboat Key on the Gulf of Mexico.

Click on the photo to reveal the answer.

Copyright © 2005 Randy Karr