Faà di Bruno was built when 40-caliber Cannone navale da 381/40 guns from the Francesco Caracciolo-class battleships became available after their construction was suspended in 1916.

[2] Faà di Bruno was powered by two surplus Thornycroft vertical triple-expansion steam engines from discarded torpedo boats.

The ship's navigation bridge was placed on a prominent tripod mast abaft the gun turret.

[3] Her Cannone navale da 381/40 guns could elevate +15° and her twin-gun turret could traverse 30° to either side.

[7] Faà di Bruno was laid down on 10 October 1915, even before the battleships were officially suspended, by the Venetian Arsenal to a design by Rear Admiral Giuseppe Rota that was essentially that of a self-propelled barge as she lacked a bow.

[10] She was stricken from the Navy List on 13 November 1924, but was placed back into service at the beginning of World War II as the floating battery GM 194.

[10] She was captured by the Germans after the Italian armistice and was turned over to the puppet Marina Nazionale Repubblicana (National Republican Navy).