They served during the First World War, where one was lost, with the remaining ships sold for scrap in the 1920s and early 1930s.

[1][4] The ships were powered by two sets of triple expansion steam engines fed by three Thornycroft water-tube boilers and driving two propeller shafts.

[1] Six ships (the Artigliere group[2]) had coal-fired boilers, carrying 95 t of coal, sufficient to give a range of 1,500 nautical miles (1,700 mi; 2,800 km) at a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) or 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) at 23.5 knots (43.5 km/h; 27.0 mph).

[1][7] Four more ships (the Alpino group[2]) were fitted with oil-fired boilers, with 65 t of oil giving a range of 1,600 nautical miles (3,000 km; 1,800 mi) at 12 knots.

[9][10] and the Battle of Kunfuda Bay, where the protected cruiser Piemonte, together with Artigliere and Garibaldino sank seven gunboats.