The design for Cristoforo Colombo was prepared by the noted naval engineer Benedetto Brin, and she was the first modern cruiser type vessel of the Italian fleet.

She had a fuel capacity of 630 long tons (640 t) of coal, which enabled a cruising radius of 4,160 to 4,480 nautical miles (7,700 to 8,300 km; 4,790 to 5,160 mi) at a speed of 13 to 14 knots (24 to 26 km/h; 15 to 16 mph).

She passed through Aden in early December and proceeded to Singapore, where she rendezvoused with the screw corvette Caracciolo, which had been cruising in Australian waters.

[6] On 5 April 1884, Cristoforo Colombo accidentally ran aground on the Quemoy Bank off Amoy in heavy fog, but her crew was able to free the ship at high tide.

At the start of the Sino-French War in August, both countries agreed to a limited area of hostilities, and Shanghai was in the neutral region, so the defense agreement was not put into effect.

The following year, the ship was replaced by a steel-hulled vessel of the same name, which was also designed by Brin, and was in most respects identical to the original Cristoforo Colombo[9][10]