Their extreme speed and light construction invite comparison with the French contre-torpilleurs and other large destroyers. On balance they still fit the cruiser category, although the boundary is debatable. That ambiguity warns against relying on a formal class label alone. The Luigi Cadorna class was an evolutionary refinement of the preceding Giussano design, and some references effectively treat the two ships as a second Giussano batch.
Notable Point · 4:41-5:55
Cruisers or very large destroyers?
The Condottieri sit on a blurred boundary between light cruisers and very large destroyers.