He was afterwards promoted to Capitano di Vascello and served as chief of staff to the Squadra di Evoluzione (Squadron of Evolution), the active squadron of the Italian Navy meant to provide experience and training with the new fleet-sized maneuvers; as such, he participated in the multinational intervention in Tunisia in 1864, protecting foreign property and subjects during a revolt.

In 1866 Riboty was named commander of the new ironclad screw frigate Re di Portogallo, in which he participated in the Third Italian War of Independence.

Promoted to rear admiral, he led the naval forces that contributed to the repression of a revolt in Palermo in September 1866.

Riboty was appointed by Prime Minister Luigi Federico Menabrea as Minister of the Navy in January 1868; at the time, the navy was suffering from the backlash of the defeat at Lissa and the precarious financial situation of Italy, resulting in considerable budget cuts which impaired naval buildings, the activity of the ships and the training.

With his experience as head of the naval schools, Riboty proposed the creation of a single Naval Academy (a suggestion already put forward by Carlo Pellion di Persano), to address the regionalistic spirit that still lingered among the officers, and which had had negative effects at Lissa; however, this was not followed through, and he only managed to unify the Genoese and Neapolitan schools as a single entity.