The spent their time in service alternating between the Active and Reserve Squadrons, and they were primarily occupied with conducting training exercises.

The Ruggiero di Laurias were authorized in the naval program for 1880, and the task of designing them was assigned to Engineering Inspector Giuseppe Micheli.

Vice Admiral Ferdinando Acton opposed the very large ironclads designed by Brin, and so he charged Micheli with creating a ship that would not exceed 10,000 long tons (10,160 t).

Micheli chose to base his new design on a cut-down version of Duilio, though he incorporated several improvements, including more modern, breech-loading guns, a more powerful propulsion system, and new, more effective compound armor.

A single military mast with fighting tops was located amidships; a hurricane deck connected the forward and aft superstructure.

Ruggiero di Lauria was the fastest member of the class, reaching a top speed of 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) at 10,591 indicated horsepower (7,898 kW).

[3] The Ruggiero di Laurias were armed with a main battery of four 432 mm (17 in) 27-caliber rifled breechloading guns, mounted in two pairs en echelon in a central barbette.

[9] That year, Ruggiero di Lauria and Andrea Doria joined the Active Squadron for a major cruise to Britain and Germany.

[12] That year, Ruggiero di Lauria and Andrea Doria took part in a naval review in Cagliari for the Italian King Umberto I, which included a French and British squadron as well.

In 1908, the Italian Navy decided to discard Ruggiero di Lauria and Francesco Morosini,[15] while Andrea Doria remained in service until 1911.

Ruggiero di Lauria was converted into a floating oil tank in 1909 and was renamed GM 45; she was sunk in an air raid in 1943 during World War II.