Each class is known after the first ship of the group:
Cadorna class:
Montecuccoli class:
Duca d'Aosta class:
Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi class:
The first group, the four Giussanos, were built to counter the French large destroyers (contre-torpilleurs), the first being the 2,500 ton Le Fantasque-class, and therefore they featured very high speed, in exchange for virtually no armour protection.
The following two Cadornas retained the main characteristics, with minor improvements to stability and hull strength.
Major changes were introduced for the next pair, the Montecuccolis. About 2,000 tons heavier, they had significantly better protection, and upgraded power-plants to maintain the required high speed.
The two Duca d'Aostas continued the trend, thickening the armour and improving the power plant again.
The final pair, the Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzis completed the transition, sacrificing a little speed for good protection (their armour scheme was the same of the heavy cruisers) and for two more 6-inch /55 guns.
All ships served in the Mediterranean during World War II.
The ships of the first two subclasses (with the exception of) were all lost by 1942, primarily to enemy torpedoes (with sunk by destroyers at the Battle of Cape Spada after being crippled by, and suffering a similar fate at in a night action of the Battle of Cape Bon, sunk by British submarine HMS Urge, and sunk by the British submarine HMS Upright) that led many authors (including Preston) to question their real value as fighting ships. The subsequent vessels fared considerably better with all surviving the war, except (torpedoed in August 1942 and sunk by an Allied bombing in December 1942).
After the end of the war, and were given to the Greek Navy and the Soviet Navy respectively as war reparations; Luigi Cadorna was quickly stricken, became a training ship, and the Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi subclass served on in the Marina Militare until the 1970s, with becoming the first European guided missile cruiser in 1961.
| + List of Condottieri-class ships | |||||
| Ship | Class | Builder | Laid down | Service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||
| Ansaldo | 29 March 1928 | 1 January 1931 | 13 December 1941 | ||
| Ansaldo | 16 April 1928 | 9 June 1931 | 13 December 1941 | ||
| Ansaldo | 21 June 1928 | 10 February 1932 | 19 July 1940 | ||
| Cantieri Navali di Castellammare di Stabia | 31 October 1928 | 1 January 1931 | 1 April 1942 | ||
| Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico | 19 September 1930 | 11 August 1933 | May 1951 | ||
| Odero Terni Orlando | 28 July 1930 | 29 April 1933 | 25 February 1941 | ||
| Ansaldo | 1 October 1931 | 30 June 1935 | 1 June 1964 | ||
| Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico | 10 April 1931 | 7 August 1935 | 4 December 1942 | ||
| Odero Terni Orlando | 29 October 1932 | 13 July 1935 | 20 February 1959 | ||
| Ansaldo | 6 July 1933 | 16 January 1936 | 1965 | ||
| Odero Terni Orlando | 28 December 1933 | 1 December 1937 | January 1961 | ||
| Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico | 28 December 1933 | 1 December 1937 | 1971 |