They named the Italian palazzo Ka zan, and today twenty acres of Sarasota host one of Florida’s preeminent cultural treasures. In the early 1900s, John Ringling and his wife Mabel decided to build an Italian mansion on twenty acres in
Sarasota. You can also visit the Ca zan mansion, a magnificent 56-room Venetian Gothic palace and the former home of the
Ringling family.

Built to resemble a Venice canal house, the 36,000-square-foot home is clad in glazed tiles that glisten in the warm Florida sun. Neighboring Brohard Paw Park welcomes furry friends to Sarasota’s only dog-friendly beach. Located on Longboat Key, South Lido offers views of downtown Sarasota and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as a picnic spot and a hiking trail.

The City of Sarasota, located along the Gulf of Mexico about an hour south of Tampa Bay, occupies 26 square miles of land in Sarasota County. Sarasota, derived from the Spanish term for “place to dance,” is a fitting name for this Gulf Coast city in
Florida, south of Tampa Bay, in the Tampa Bay area. Since 2014, the annual Sarasota Improv Festival has moved to Venice, Florida a small town south of Sarasota.

Sarasota has 35 miles of sand, and the waves hold some particularly stunning gems. Like many beach towns in Florida, Sarasotas Keys calms down a bit in late spring when snowbirds head north for summer.

Sarasota has 29 golf courses which include municipal, semi-private and private golf courses. No wonder the first golf course in Sarasota and Florida was built by a developer.

If you love dance or musical theater, you’ll love the Sarasota Ballet or the West Coast Black Theatre. If you are into art, you can also visit the Sarasota Museum of Art.