 Two of the three "Pisa"-class armored cruisers were originally built for the "Regia Marina".The third ship was built on speculation and was sold to Greece and completed as "Georgios Averof", named after a wealthy Greek businessman who had left a sizeable legacy for the increase of the Greek Navy in his will.The ship participated in the Coronation Fleet Review for King George V of the United Kingdom in 1911 shortly after commissioning.