 Re d 'Italia ( King of Italy ) was the lead ship of the Re d 'Italia @-@ class armored frigates built in the United States for the Italian Regia Marina ( Royal Navy ) in the early 1860s . She was laid down at the William H. Webb Shipyard in New York in November 1861 , was launched in April 1863 , and was completed a year later in September 1864 ; the two Re d 'Italia @-@ class ships were the only Italian ironclads built in the United States . The ships were broadside ironclads , armed with a battery of six 72 @-@ pounder guns and thirty @-@ two 164 mm ( 6 @.@ 5 in ) guns . 
