Built to be fast and sexy, the Riva Aquarama was regarded as the Ferrari of the boat world. Indeed, when it first appeared in 1962, it carried a similar price tag to a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, the most expensive car in Italy at the time.
With its sweeping wraparound windshield, gleaming mahogany deck, and centre sun-pad, the Aquarama is as iconic of Italian post-war glamour as Sophia Loren. Actually, the screen siren owned one. And when she starred the 1960 romantic comedy, It started in Naples, alongside Clark Gable, he piloted a Riva Aquarama in one of its scenes.
In case you need any further convincing that a Riva Aquarama is something special, consider the sage advice of presenter Jeremy Clarkson who, in a 2013 episode of Top Gear, piloted the wooden motorboat in Venice and described it as “the most beautiful thing ever made”.
Aquaramas were built by the famed Italian designer and yachtbuilder Carlo Riva from 1962 until 1996, and there are just 598 still in existence. So when a Riva Aquarama comes up for sale, vintage boat enthusiasts and collectors all around the world take note. That happened most recently on 11 June, when the luxury boat company Bellini Nautica officially launched its new partnership with the French artist Xavier Casalta.
At a glitzy private party at its premises in Clusane on the shore of Lake Iseo, around 80km east of Milan, Bellini Nautica unveiled a 1969 Riva Aquarama that it had lovingly restored, with the help of the 31-year old Casalta. The result of their partnership will sell for around £1,000,000.
Founded in 1967 in Clusane, the family-owned Bellini Nautica has traditionally been a leader in the sale of prestigious new and used boats, but is now better known for restoring and trading vintage Rivas. This has led to a series of collaborations with international artists to personalise Aquaramas, making each one unique.
“By collaborating with artists, we want to show that an Aquarama is not just a piece of art, but a piece of art that is still alive,” says Battista Bellini, CEO of Bellini Nautica, who represents the third generation of the family to run the company.
In 2021, the company collaborated with Thierry Guetta (aka Mr. Brainwash), one of the world’s top street artists. Last year, it was the turn of the Brazil-born founder of the Happy Art Movement, Romero Britto.
This year, Xavier Casalta has provided the artwork for the upholstery of the restored Aquarama. He applied ideas from some of his most of his current work, which focuses on flowers and ancient architecture. He likes to use the stippling technique, which involves millions of tiny black ink dots on paper.
Casalta says he was given free reign by the Bellini company, but was apprehensive about imposing his ideas on the world’s most beloved powerboat: “At first I was a bit scared. I was thinking maybe it was not my place to customise something that is already iconic. So when I agreed to work on the project, I tried to keep it discrete, to not to take away from its vintage charm, and make it look too modern or contemporary. I wanted my design to look like it could have been released 50 years ago.”
He need not have worried. Bellini says: “When we choose an artist, we choose someone who is in line with our philosophy, not just in the artwork, but in the overall feeling that we pursue together. The important thing for us in Bellini is to preserve the originality of the boat. With Xavier, we changed just the interior.”
The dolce vita (meaning ‘good life’ in Italian) glamour of post-war Italy was evoked at the launch. Guests – who comprised Bellini’s top clients, boat collectors, and media – were asked to dress in black and white, reminiscent of the days of black and white TV, Italian style, and la dolce vita.
Speaking at the launch, which was every bit as stylish as the boat on show, a beaming Bellini said: “Some people here will want to buy the boat. Others will want to visit the Bellini museum, and see the most complete collection of Riva Aquaramas in the world. Some of the visitors will rent an Aquarama, with our skipper, and travel across the lake, having the feeling of la dolce vita.”
For more information on Xavier Casalta, visit his Instagram page, CasaltaXavier; or his website casaltaxavier.com.
Late March to the end of October is the ideal time to visit Bellini Nautica. The nearest airport is Bergamo, just 30 minutes from the company’s headquarters. More information on bellininautica.it.
All imagery supplied by Bellini Nautica
