 Sardegna was named after the island of Sardinia . She was built by the Arsenale di La Spezia in La Spezia , with her keel being laid down on 24 October 1885 . She was launched on 20 September 1890 , and completed on 16 February 1895 . After entering service , Sardegna was assigned to the 2nd Division of the Reserve Squadron as its flagship , along with the older ironclad Ruggiero di Lauria and the torpedo cruiser Aretusa . At the time , the ships of the Reserve Squadron were based in La Spezia . Sardegna joined the ironclads Re Umberto , Ruggiero di Lauria , and Andrea Doria and the cruisers Stromboli , Etruria , and Partenope for a visit to Spithead in the United Kingdom in July 1895 . Later that year , the squadron stopped in Germany for the celebration held to mark the opening of the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal . While there , Sardegna accidentally ran aground in front of the canal , blocking the entrance for several days . 
