The design was fundamentally a light, almost unarmoured hull with a large power plant and cruiser style armament.

Given their machinery development of 93,210 kW (125,000 hp), equivalent to that of the 17,000-ton cruisers of the Des Moines class, the target speed was over 41 knots (76 km/h; 47 mph), but the ships were left virtually unarmoured.

[3] The Capitani Romani-class vessels shipped a main battery of eight 135 mm (5.3 in) DP guns, with a rate of fire of eight rounds per minute and a range of 19,500 m (21,300 yd).

Scipione Africano detected and engaged four British Elco motor torpedo boats during the night of 17 July 1943 en route to Taranto, while passing the Messina straits at high speed off Punta Posso.

[10] Attilio Regolo was torpedoed by the submarine HMS Unruffled on 7 November 1942, and remained in drydock for several months with her bow shattered.

The ships were extensively rebuilt for the French Navy by La Seyne dockyard with new anti-aircraft-focused armament and fire-control systems in 1951–1954.