RIVA reverie

Whether piloting a handcrafted Aquarama across Lake Garda or gliding silently in the electric El-Iseo off the coast of Portofino-Riva owners aren't just enjoying the ride; they're joining a legacy.

- Text by NICOLAS STECHER

When one speaks of Riva yachts, images of their mahogany-paneled Aquarama instantly flood the mind.

The portraits are ageless, the profile of the boat existing outside of time—its owners and vowed fanatics as iconic as the watercraft itself. Ever since Carlo Riva first launched his gorgeous runabout in 1962 during the arguable peak of Côte d'Azur glamour, European superstars like Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Alain Delon sunning aboard their Rivas forged the Aquarama into an instant and indelible symbol of European sophistication. When megawatt power couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were photographed embracing in theirs, the iconic status of the sleek vessel stamped itself forever on the American psyche.

With its sensual curves, polished mahogany hull, chrome brightwork and twin V8s purring like an Aston Martin DB5, the Aquarama wasn't just a boat—it was a floating fantasy. It's impossible to read even a quick history of the Riva without breathless allusions to James Bond and the esoteric emotions of la dolce vita. are as enshrined in the lore of the Aquarama as its luxury materials and turquoise and seafoam blue liveries.

But few know the epic Riva poem began with a storm. In 1842, a violent tempest tore through the shores of Lake Iseo in northern Italy, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Enter Pietro Riva, a young, ambitious boatbuilder from nearby Laglio. Armed with skill and quintessential Italian stubbornness, Pietro repaired the battered fishing boats, impressing locals and launching a family legacy. By the turn of the century, the Riva name had become synonymous with sturdy, elegant wooden vessels gliding through the Italian lakes.