The Etna class was a series of protected cruisers that were built in the late 1880s for the Regia Marina (the Royal Italian Navy).

The four ships built were slightly enlarged copies of the Elswick Works' design for the protected cruiser Giovanni Bausan.

On sea trials the engines produced a total between 6,252–7,480 indicated horsepower (4,662–5,578 kW) and the ships reached between 17–17.8 knots (31.5–33.0 km/h; 19.6–20.5 mph).

The ships carried between 575–620 long tons (584–630 t) of coal which allowed them to steam for 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

[1] The main armament of the ships consisted of two Armstrong 10-inch (254 mm), 30-caliber breech-loading guns mounted in barbettes fore and aft.

"To load, the gun was laid fore and aft in line with a fixed armored deckhouse into which ammunition was hoisted from below.

They had a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per minute[6] Etna, Stromboli, and Vesuvio were fitted with four 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes.

The breech and loading area of the main guns was protected by an armored hood 2 inches (51 mm) thick.

[2] From April to June 1893, she participated in the International Naval Review at Hampton Roads that was part of the Columbian Exposition.

[7] Afterward she was stationed in the Red Sea during the First Italo-Ethiopian War of 1895–1896 and then supported Italian interests during the Cretan Revolt of 1898.

[13] Stromboli returned to Italy in 1901 and was placed in reserve and served as an ammunition ship before being struck from the Navy List in 1907 and sold for scrap in 1911.