Palazzo Barbieri is a neoclassical building designed by the engineer Giuseppe Barbieri, who was also the author of the Monumental Cemetery. The construction began in 1836 and was completed in 1848. During the Austrian occupation the building was called Gran Guardia Nuova and was used mainly for war purposes: it was the seat of the Imperiale Regio Comando. 
After the union of Veneto to the Kingdom of Italy it was chosen for its importance and its centrality to become the headquarters of the municipal offices. 
On the night of February 23, 1945, in one of the most destructive bombing raids of World War II, Palazzo Barbieri was struck and severely damaged. After the war the palace was quickly rebuilt and expanded by the architects Raffaele Benatti and Guido Troiani, and then opened in March 1950.