Minerva was a torpedo cruiser of the Partenope class built for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in the 1880s.

[3] Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of horizontal triple-expansion steam engines each driving a single screw propeller.

Close-range defense against torpedo boats was provided by a secondary battery of six 57 mm (2.24 in) /43 guns mounted singly.

[3] During the 1893 fleet maneuvers, Minerva served with the 1st Division of the Reserve Squadron, along with the ironclads Re Umberto and Duilio and four torpedo boats.

[5] In 1895, Minerva was stationed in the 2nd Maritime Department, split between Taranto and Naples, along with most of the torpedo cruisers in the Italian fleet.

These included her sister ships Partenope, Aretusa, Euridice, Iride, Urania, and Caprera, the four Goito-class cruisers, and Tripoli.

[3] At the start of the Italo-Turkish War in September 1911, Minerva was attached to the 4th Division of the 2nd Squadron of the Italian fleet.

Instead, Revel decided to implement a blockade at the relatively safer southern end of the Adriatic with the main fleet, while smaller vessels, such as the MAS boats, conducted raids on Austro-Hungarian ships and installations.

[11] Minerva was initially used to lay a series of defensive minefields, along with her sister Partenope and the cruiser Goito, in support of this strategy.