The street was named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, following the arrival of the Italian troops in 1866. Before that it was called Strada Nuova dei Giardini, because it led to the public gardens, ordered by Napoleon, which are located halfway down the street, while Nuova refers to the fact that a canal crossing it was filled in.
To clear space to build the Giardini, the Church and Convent of San Domenico, the Church and Convent of San Nicolò di Bari, the Sailors’ Hospital (ospedale dei Marinai), the Church and Convent of Concezione or Cappuccine, and the Church and Convent of San Antonio Abate were all torn down. 

Various public works of art are present along the street