"Etna" served in the "Squadra Permamente" (Permanent Squadron) from her commissioning to 1893 and then served in North and South American waters until the end of 1895. From April to June 1893, she participated in the International Naval Review at Hampton Roads that was part of the Columbian Exposition. Afterward she was stationed in the Red Sea during the First Italo-Ethiopian War of 1895–1896 and then supported Italian interests during the Cretan Revolt of 1898. The ship was then transferred to the Far East, returning home in 1902. "Etna" was disarmed that same year and she was flagship of the Superior Torpedo-Boat Command in 1904. The ship was rebuilt between 1905 and 1907, her superstructure was enlarged and she was given two guns, one each fore and aft, as well as four 6-inch guns in her waist, two per side. In 1909 she participated in the Hudson–Fulton Celebration along with the cruiser . She served as a training ship after her rebuild until the start of World War I when she became the stationary flagship of the Commander-in-Chief in Taranto for the duration of the war. "Etna" was disarmed again in 1920 and sold for scrap in 1921.