Lake Iseo | Boomers Daily

During Italy’s post-war boom years, Riva’s glamorous wooden boats were the pinnacle of “la dolce vita” – the Ferraris of motorboats, owned by movie stars, tycoons and royalty. Correspondent Seth Doane takes a spin on the water in a classic Riva; checks out a new edition of the famed Aquarama boat; and learns how the company is working to keep Riva’s spirit alive.

Alberto Galassi is raving about his Riva, a 1970 wooden Aquarama, formed of cedar from Lebanon and mahogany. The CEO of the Ferretti Group, which now owns the Riva boat brand, he took correspondent Seth Doane on a ride on Italy’s picturesque Lake Iseo, racing past Riva’s factory.

“Riva is beyond boating; Riva is a myth,” Galassi said of the classic Riva speedboats, which have been in the hands of royalty, movie stars, rock stars and tycoons. “Let’s be honest. I mean, when you say, ‘I have a Ferrari,’ you need to say you ‘have a car’? Everybody knows what a Ferrari is. Riva is the same thing.”

On the shores of Lake Iseo, at the foot of the Alps and right in front of Monte Isola, 16^th-century manor villa with botanic park. The building, over 1,500 sqm, is the typical noble villa with ample frescoed halls, huge windows and direct view over the lake.

With a total of 9 bedrooms (and the possibility of creating more) the property is well suited both as a private residence and as an accommodation business.

The botanic garden, a masterwork by the biologist Fenaroli who here experimented if it was possible to cultivate kiwi in Italy, covers 2.1 hectares and is home to peculiar and exotic plants.

Lake Iseo or Iseo lake, also known as Sebino, is the fourth largest lake in Lombardy, Italy, fed by the Oglio river. It is in the north of the country in the Val Camonica area, near the cities of Brescia and Bergamo. The lake is almost equally divided between the Provinces of Bergamo and Brescia.