A text by Britta Flöring
Presenting what it claims is the only complete Riva collection in the world in a simple warehouse in a remote industrial area of Italy is not exactly what you would expect. Irritation. The booking for the so-called "Riva Vintage Collection" for 25 euros per person is made via the website "Lake Iseo", a confirmation by e-mail, a location via Google Maps, a simple industrial hall, a dismantled sports boat outside, wood stored behind the building, mahogany wood. At least that. Bellini lettering, not a soul on this Thursday morning in August, dust and the sound of work. A sign for a visitor meeting point gives us the feeling that we might be in the right place. We wait.
Riva stands for luxury and lifestyle, for celebrities and money, for style and grace, for an era that still characterises our sense of wealth and joie de vivre today. Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Sean Connery and George Clooney. We recognise the photos of celebrities presenting themselves on luxury boats and wonder who is actually advertising whom. Luxury advertises luxury. We wait in the sweltering midday heat.
Then a white Fiat 500 pulls up. Giada, a young Italian woman with black curls and a short denim skirt, gets out and asks for a moment's patience. Okay, we've come to the right place. Later, she tells us that two other participants have also signed up but can't make it on time.
A private tour of the private art museum
We enjoy a private tour through the heart of the Italian lifestyle of the 50s and 60s, the private Riva collection of the Bellini family. Bellini is one of the leading shipyards on Lake Iseo, just like Riva or Rio, which lie opposite the lake, perhaps eight kilometres away. We immerse ourselves in the world of the Bellini and Riva families. In pairs, on a private and informative guided tour that leaves a lasting impression. With lots of information about the construction and restoration process of Riva boats, about the material, about the mahogany wood, which is stored for up to ten years until the moisture content drops below 5% and can only then be processed. It will be exciting, regardless of whether you have dealt with Rivas before or not.
We immerse ourselves in the warehouse, the sounds of work and the dust. There are currently three Rivas in the restoration department, one of them badly damaged because it has been in salt water for two months. Rivas are divas. We learn that Rivas do not tolerate salt water and should ideally be stored dry immediately after use. The shipyards specialise in this and store the precious wooden boats in a kind of garage. Two hours before use, they are lifted from the dry deck by crane into the harbour basin and polished. Then they are ready to go. For a tour across Lake Iseo, Lake Como or Lake Garda. Most of the 3000 or so Rivas can still be found there. 3000 of around 4300 wooden rivas built between 1952 and 1969. Anyone who has a Riva looks after it or has it professionally refurbished and maintained in a renowned shipyard. Although this costs a small fortune of up to a quarter of a million euros, it is a long-term investment. Rivas are rare and do not lose value, on the contrary. Well-preserved aquaramas are traded for up to almost a million euros. The cost of restoration quickly pays for itself.
20 fine wooden boats
The tour of the Bellini family's private Riva Museum is divided into two parts. We start downstairs in the dusty work area, where rivas are expertly refurbished over a period of one to two years. 30-35 layers of lacquer are gradually applied over the crossed mahogany panels of a single tree. That takes time. The same goes for the mahogany plugs made from the same wood, which cover the screws underneath.
Giada, who joined Bellini three years ago as a marketing and communications professional after completing her studies, uses the torch function on her iPhone to show us the small circles of mahogany wood. Photos are not permitted in this area, but are allowed in the upper part of the exhibition. After about 20 minutes, we go up to the second floor and enter a large, plain white hall with a total of 20 rivas arranged in a U-shape. Very basic, the fine works of art do not need an elaborate presentation.
An air conditioner ensures even air conditioning, otherwise all the models are lined up here. The Racing Riva from the very beginning, which won the legendary race from Pavia to Venezia in 1934, the first wooden fishing boats with original accessories until Carlo Riva recognised his passion for the boat as a lifestyle product.
From around 1952, the Rivas took on the shape we know today. Shapely and elegant and ever more exquisite to meet the demands of the time. In the boats, close enough to touch, are the original accessories, such as the first fabric fenders with the original Riva emblem and mahogany ladders that lie in the boats.
Knowledge about the Bellini family
Giada surprises us with her in-depth knowledge of the Bellini family and the exhibits on display, which continue to develop visually and technically towards the back of this room. It begins with the first sundeck, continues with the ever-evolving engines from Rolls Royce to Chris Craft, via bathing ladders and attachment options for water skis and bathing decks at the stern. The development runs continuously in the years from 1952 to 1969. The undisputed highlight was the legendary Aquarama from 1962, some of which Hollywood celebrities owned several and posed in the media with the new status symbol of Italian origin.
With the development of the print media, black and white photos of celebrities on the typical wooden boats became popular worldwide. Even in Hollywood films, such as James Bond films, film stars were increasingly seen in rivas.
Anyone who was anyone had their photo taken in the Italian luxury boat and thus attained the status of immortality. The myth is still palpable. Even in this simple, air-conditioned warehouse. Some of the boats have wooden steps painted aquamarine so that visitors can look inside the ever-growing wooden icons.
From model to model, we learn how engine performance is constantly increasing, how the shape of the stern changes in line with the requirements of this lifestyle product and how the details we are familiar with today continue to evolve. We see and feel how the developments of the time are also reflected in the boats, such as the Riva-Junior on display there, which has partially white lacquered mahogany wood to keep up visually with the emerging fibreglass boats.
The Rivas as a symbol of contemporary history
Giada has answers to all our questions, lets us immerse ourselves in the world of the jet set of the 50s and 60s and gives us plenty of time to take countless photos. Nevertheless, it is difficult to capture the mythical atmosphere with a camera.
In the centre is a small Riva, almost a children's version, which stood in a ratio of 1-2 godmother to her bigger sisters and can perhaps be steered remotely at some point. A nice idea.
And finally an Aquarama, designed in a modern and colourful way by street artist Romero Britto, a Brazilian Rizzi who, among other things, transforms boats and cars into pop art. A matter of taste, whoever likes it.
Finally, on the walls we find photos of Carlo Riva and Romano Bellini, who became particularly close after the early death of Bellini's father, and who have immortalised the Riva legend not only in their homeland on Lake Iseo, but throughout the world, thanks to their expert preparation and presentation. And rightly so. We are impressed by the aura of the boats and the knowledge of the young woman.
This exhibition is worthwhile
Whether for Riva enthusiasts or tourists who enjoy beautiful boats. The 25 euros per person are well worth it and bring the history and the boats of the Riva family closer, sustainably. Not least thanks to Giada's competent and unagitated guide.
Once-in-a-lifetime
If you have acquired a taste for it, you could perfect this experience with a "once in a lifetime trip" on an original Riva on Lake Iseo or Lake Como. It is possible for a good 700 euros. Book directly via Bellini Nautica (www.bellininautica.it) or via the Lake Iseo page (www.visitlakeiseo.info). Very uncomplicated. Experience the feeling of flying across the lake in a Riva with a group of up to seven people. At least once in a lifetime. Why not? Or - once in a lifetime - to enjoy a private dinner surrounded by rivas, e.g. at a wedding. This can also be booked through Bellini Nautica.
Even if at first glance this exhibition looks like a five-course meal prepared by a celebrity chef in the hall of the local sports club, the images have such a calm and lasting effect. And who knows, maybe at some point you'll think about dining among the mahogany icons or taking a trip on an Aquarama. I think so. At some point.
