Built at the beginning of the 18th century by Gianfrancesco and Sigismondo Attems, it is attributed to the Gorizian architect Nicolò Pacassi, who since 1745 had been in the service of the Empress Maria Theresa at the Schönbrunn Palace. His style is recognizable from the elegant faҁade, surmounted by a balustrade with statues of Olympic deities by Giovanni Battista Mazzoleni from Bergamo. It has a decorated floor and a plastered ceiling and the big painting Gli dei dell’Olimpo (1745) by Antonio Paroli in the ceremonial hall from the 18th century. Some decades later frescos were added, only re-discovered during recent restoration works, made by Francesco Chiarottini from Cividale and representing architectural follies.
Ceded to the Provincial authority in the 1830s, the palazzo became in 1900 the Museo provinciale exhibiting antiquarian and natural history collections first and then, from 1938, the Museo della guerra e redenzione, that was moved in the 1980s to the Castle town. Today it houses a prestigious Art Gallery with some famous 18th century Venetian works (Marco Ricci, Giambettino Cignaroli, Francesco Pavona) and a wide range of 19th century portraits, with some excellent Giuseppe Tominz works (1790-1866). Its 20th century collection includes significant works of major local artists of the first half of the century: Italico Brass, Vittorio Bolaffio, Arturo Nathan, Carlo Sbisà, Giannino Marchig, Gino de Finetti, Luigi Spazzapan and Tullio Crali. Noteworthy is the Anton Zoran Music series of paintings and graphics.