empire, Cristoforo Colombo carried a barque sailing rig. Cristoforo Colombo carried a relatively heavy gun battery for her small size, including eight 40-caliber guns. These were placed in single mounts in sponsons, four guns per broadside. Later in the ship's career, two of these guns were removed. For close-range defense against torpedo boats, she carried a secondary battery of two 24-caliber guns. Service history The keel for Cristoforo Colombo was laid down on 1 September 1890, and her completed hull was launched on 24 September 1892. Fitting-out work was completed on 16 October 1894, after which the ship entered service with the Regia Marina. She had already been formally assigned to the 3rd Department, based in Venice, on 1 October 1893, though she did not actually join the unit until the following year. In 1895, the ship was assigned to the Training Squadron to serve as a training ship for naval cadets in company with the corvette Flavio Gioia. The ship was based in Venice at that time. By 1901, Cristoforo Colombo was assigned to the Red Sea to patrol Italy's East African colony in Italian Somaliland, along with the gunboats and and the training vessel Volta. She remained there the following year in company with Volturno. In 1903, the unit was renamed the Red Sea and Benadir Division, and was reinforced with the torpedo cruiser and the aviso . The following year, the unit consisted of Cristoforo Colombo, Volturno, the torpedo cruiser , and the aviso . The Regia Marina discarded the ship on 10 March 1907. Her ultimate fate is unknown. Notes References External links Cristoforo Colombo (1892) Marina Militare website Corvettes of the Regia Marina Ships built in Venice 1892 ships