May/June • 2021 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE A
John Ringling and his wife Mable also
built an estate on Sarasota Bay and devoted
their money and time to collecting fi ne art.
John and Mable collected more than 600
paintings and other artistic pieces from
around the world: The John and Mable
Ringling Museum of Art stands today and is
a testimony to their passion. John Ringling’s
love of the arts extended to his founding
of the Ringling College of Art and Design,
which opened in 1931. Upon their deaths,
both properties were gifted to the city of
Sarasota, and today they are open for tours.
Named Ca’ D’Zan, or “House of John” in
the Venetian language (which differs from
Italian) their home and The Ringling Museum
are part of a 66-acre complex that also
features the Circus Museum with pieces of
circus history. A tribute to the Gothic designs
of Venice, the estate is a tribute to his love for
his wife Mable. The fi ve-story mansion has 41
rooms, 15 bathrooms, and stunning grounds.
It is a surprising piece of trivia to note
that the word “circus” comes from Greek,
by way of Latin. Circus is a Latin word that
comes from the Greek kirkos, originally
meaning “ring” or “circle,” and it referred to
a place where Romans would hold all kinds
of entertainment, whether it was gladiator
battles, chariot racing, or feeding Rome’s
enemies to the lions. How interesting that
“Ring” ling is now synonymous with the word
“Circus.”
St. Armands Circle
John Ringling designed and built a lovely
community on the barrier islands off the
coast of Sarasota and called the center hub
“St. Armands Circle.” The island community
(consisting of Bird Key, Lido Key, St. Armands
Key and parts of Longboat Key) was
developed in the 1920s as “Ringling Isles,”
and was connected to the mainland by a set
of bridges, also built by John Ringling.
At the epicenter of this community is
a circular park surrounded by shops,
restaurants, and elegant homes. The circle
was originally called Harding Circle, in honor
of President Warren G. Harding, and later
renamed St. Armands Circle (the original
homesteader on the land was a Frenchman
named Charles St. Armand).
Today, St. Armands Circle remains a
testament to John Ringling’s efforts to
establish the image of Sarasota as a place to
relax in style.
It’s easy to miss as you’re walking through
the many shops and restaurants, but if you
look closely you’ll notice that the center of
St. Armands Circle is home to the Circus
Ring of Fame: 144 bronze plaques, each one
dedicated to a circus VIP. It’s a fi tting tribute
to John Ringling that a stroll around St.
Armands Circle is a stroll through the history
of the circus.
Carla Wallenda, one of the many honorees
on the Ring of Fame, just passed away on
March 8 of this year. Carla was the daughter
of the famous Flying Wallenda patriarch,
Karl Wallenda, and was among the original
members of the Flying Wallenda daredevil
dynasty. She distinguished herself by earning
the world title for “senior-most daredevil” in
2017 when, at 81 years old, she performed
her sway pole act on Steve Harvey’s “Little Big
Shots: Forever
Young.”
Honored
with a wagon
wheel of her
own at age
83, Carla joins
the Flying
Wallenda
clan in a wellearned
place of honor on the Ring of Fame.
St. Armands Circle back in the day.
Ring of Fame at St. Armands Circle.