Palazzo Barbieri – Palazzo Municipale
The town hall of Verona
The Palazzo Barbieri is a classical building on the Piazza Brà. It is named after its architect Giuseppe Barbieri, who was in charge of its construction from 1836 to 1848. Originally the building was planed as a Gran Guardia Nuova by the Austrian occupiers and built by Barbieri. With its colossal columns and the massive pediment portico, the palace towers majestically over the Piazza Brà.
The Habsburgs used the Palazzo Barbieri as a base for the Austrian troops and coordinated the defence of Verona from here. After Italian unification the building lost its original function and became the seat of the city government. During the Second World War the palace was heavily damaged by airstrikes but was reconstructed very quickly after the war and again used as city hall from 1950 to the present day.