The RN Littorio was an Italian Navy battleship and the lead ship of her class. She was named after the lictor, the ancient Roman official who carried the fasces, a symbol that would later become associated with the National Fascist Party of Italy. The Littorio was laid down on October 28, 1934; launched on August 22, 1937; and commissioned on May 6, 1940. Until the following autumn, the battleship sailed from the harbor of Taranto to intercept the British Mediterranean Fleet but never encountered them. On the night of November 10–11, 1940, British aircraft attacked the port of Taranto. The Littorio was seriously damaged and underwent repairs until early March 1941. Afterward, she returned to sea several times to search for the British fleet, though mostly unsuccessfully. However, the battleship did participate in the Battle of Sirte. During the second battle, she scored several hits on British destroyers. In June 1942, while intercepting a British convoy, the battleship was bombed by Allied aircraft and suffered serious damage. Repairs lasted until August. Then, until December 1942, the battleship remained in Taranto. During the winter, the fleet moved to La Spezia.

In 1943, the battleship did not participate in operations due to a severe shortage of fuel for the ships; they could only sail in extreme emergencies. On July 30, the Littorio was renamed the RN Italia due to the fall of fascism. On September 9, the Italia and other fleet ships sailed for Malta, where they were to be interned. However, en route, the battleships were attacked by German aircraft. The Italia was hit by a Fritz X guided bomb, yet still managed to reach its destination. The two remaining battleships of the class were later sent to Alexandria, then to the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal, where they remained until the end of the war.

According to the Paris Peace Treaty signed on February 10, 1947, the Italia was to be handed over to the United States as a war trophy. However, the U.S. government agreed to scrap the battleship in Italy. On June 1, 1948, she was removed from the naval list and sent to a scrapyard in La Spezia, where she was scrapped for metal.

The RN Italia was introduced in Update 2.51 "Spearhead", in her 1943 configuration. This battleship has powerful main battery guns, one of the best AP shells in the game, good protection, and a decent anti-aircraft gun. However, the main caliber's rate of fire is extremely low, and the battleship is said to have no secondary caliber guns; the 90-mm Ansaldo guns are more for long-range air defense.