Opening hours and addresses
By appointment
Cantiere Ernesto Riva
Via Regina, 48
Laglio Italia
Laglio Italia
Laglio - CO
Cantiere Ernesto Riva
excellence in handmade boats since 1771
More than two centuries of company history characterize the Ernesto Riva Boatyard, whose showroom is located even today, in Laglio on Lake Como. In 1771, Peter Riva, a master boatbuilder started an activity that is still synonymous with craftsmanship, performance, elegance, precision, excellence and the Lake Como District. His workboats, gondolas and comballi (large heavy goods transport sailboats), English style pleasure boats – elegant long, narrow boats, with a buffet aft so the ladies of the time could take tea – are his creations that started the legend. And so, after nearly 300 years of work, the story continues. Today, boat restoration takes precedence over the building of new boats that still takes place and is of importance. Ernesto Riva boats are not for everyone; only a lover of nautical luxury and wood – as fibreglass has now flooded the market – can appreciate their refined beauty and elegant uniqueness. Moreover, it is not possible for just anyone to reconstruct a boat and preserve its structure; you have to know the old techniques now forgotten by many, and have knowledge of the timber and the past.