Wales ended their Guinness Six Nations campaign with their first defeat against Italy since 2007.
Dragons’ trio – Ross Moriarty, Will Rowlands and Leon Brown – all featured as second half replacements.
Wayne Pivac’s men looked like they had escaped with a win but a tremendous break from inside his own half from Ange Capuozzo put Edoardo Padovani over for a last-gasp try. Paolo Garbisi slotted over the conversion to secure a historic victory for the Azzurri, their first ever in Cardiff.
It was a special day for two players in particular with captain Dan Biggar winning his 100th cap for Wales, while Alun Wyn Jones celebrated a remarkable 150th.