Etruria was a protected cruiser of the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) built in the 1891 by the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando shipyard of Livorno.

In the early 1900s, she spent much of her time in North and South American waters; she visited the United States for the Jamestown Exposition and the Hudson–Fulton Celebration in 1907 and 1909.

The ship took part in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–1912, primarily by providing gunfire support to Italian troops in North Africa.

Reduced to a training ship by World War I, Etruria was deliberately sunk by the Regia Marina in Livorno to convince Austria-Hungary that its espionage network had not been compromised by double agents.

[1] Following her commissioning, Etruria was assigned to the Second Division of the Italian fleet in October 1894, along with the ironclad battleships Francesco Morosini, two cruisers and six torpedo boats.

[5] On 20 June 1895, Etruria and a fleet that included the battleships Sardegna, Re Umberto, Andrea Doria, and Ruggiero di Lauria, visited Germany for the ceremony of the opening of the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal.

In addition to the Austro-Hungarian delegation, the international fleet consisted of warships from Great Britain, Japan, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and several other nations.

[8] Etruria returned to the United States in September 1909 for the Hudson–Fulton Celebration in New York City, which also included ships from the German, British, and French fleets, among others, in addition to the hosting US Navy.

The convoy was heavily protected against a possible Ottoman attack: the escort comprised the four Regina Elena-class pre-dreadnought battleships, her sister Liguria and another cruiser, and five destroyers.

[13] Etruria was stationed in Libya as part of the local defense force, which included the old ironclad battleships Lepanto and Enrico Dandolo, along with several smaller vessels.

The Italian Navy deliberately blew up Etruria in Livorno on 13 August 1918, ostensibly as an act of sabotage by Austro-Hungarian agents in Italy.