Piazza Garibaldi in named after the statute of Giuseppe Garibaldi erected in the square in 1909 to replace the monument dedicated to Emperor Francis I of Austria, a bust that was destroyed in 1848.

The statute of the hero stretches up 3.60 metres from a stone base, towering over the square that bears his name. Prior to this change the square was called Piazza del Monumento and then Piazza Francesco I. After the destruction of the bust of the emperor the square was renamed in honour of King Vittorio Emanuele II.

The Piazza Garibaldi area began to assume its urban guise in the 19th century: in 1824 the Teatro Sociale Pedretti was inaugurated during carnival. Designed by the architect Luigi Cagnola, this was the first important building to look out over the square. The next structure to be built was by the Bank of Italy, while the design of Hotel de la Poste dates back to 1855 . Another interesting building houses the Banca Popolare di Sondrio, with furnishings designed in 1960 by the renowned Milanese architect Dominioni. The north side of the square is bordered by the garden of Palazzo Martinengo, decorated with mosaics depicting figures from Valtellina's history and art.