Italy, Iron-Hulled Aviso, In Service: 1869-1903 During the time of Italian Unification, much of the fighting occurred on land between the multiple armies that existed on the Italian peninsula. However, while the army of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy (and their Garibaldini associates) performed a majority of the actions and gained the most notability, … Read more
Italian Regia Marina, 1874-1900 Too late for the war with Austria: The Principe Amedeo class the last ironclad warships built for the Italian Regia Marina and the culmination of and the major naval construction program created in the wake of Italian unification. Principe Amedeo and Palestro however were ordered in August 1965, prior to the … Read more
Italian Regia Marina, 1863-1907 Affondatore was an armoured ram of the Regia Marina built by Harrison, Millwall in London from 1863 and while incomplete, was bought and sent to join the newly created Italian Navy as the Third Italian War of Independence started. Named Affondatore (“Sinker”) she was admiral Persano’s “secret weapon” against the Austro-Hungarian, … Read more
Italian Regia Marina, 1863-1896: RM Pirofrigata Roma, Venezia The Roma class ironclads were built in Italy for the Italian Regia Marina from 1863 during the rapid expansion of the newly created fleet. Only two were built, Roma and Venezia, the first having five 254 mm (10 in) and twelve 203 mm (8 in) guns but … Read more
Italian Regia Marina Ironclads, 1862-1890s: Regina Maria Pia, San Martino, Castelfidardo, Ancona Development history The Regina Maria Pia class was a group of four ironclads built for the Regia Marina in the 1860s. The class comprised four ships, Regina Maria Pia, San Martino, Castelfidardo, and Ancona. They were built by French shipyards, as Italian yards … Read more
Italian Regia Marina, 1861-1879: Principe di Carignano, Messina, Conte Verde The Principe di Carignano class were three sister ironclad of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in the 1860s: Principe di Carignano, Messina, and Conte Verde, originally ordered as wooden frigates in Italy but converted as ironclads, and the first to be built in Italy. … Read more
Italian Regia Marina, US Built 1861-1875: Re d’Italia, Re di Portogallo The Re d’Italia class were two ironclad warships built for the Italian Regia Marina in emergency, built in the United States based on plans of the French ironclad Gloire and with an original battery on a single deck of thirty-eight broadside main guns, belt … Read more
Italian Regia Marina, French Built 1860-1904: Formidabile, Terribile The very first Italian ironclads were the Formidabile class. They were at the origin of a now forgotten naval arms race, which concerned the Adriatic during the 1860s. At the price of massive financial efforts, a brand new unified Kingdom of Italy and a fledgling, also new … Read more
