 The design for the Regioni class , sometimes referred to as the Umbria class after the lead ship , was prepared by the naval architect Edoardo Masdea , and it was the first protected cruiser designed in Italy . All previous ships of the type had been designed in Britain , or in the case of the Etna class , enlarged copies of the British @-@ designed Giovanni Bausan . As a first attempt , the ships of the Regioni class proved to be a disappointment , owing to their slow speed and insufficient armor protection . 
