The current Town Hall, which replaced the previous Renaissance-style building, was built in the 18th century at the suggestion of the then Archbishop of Braga, D. José de Bragança, brother of João V of Portugal. The building, considered by some experts to be one of the most notable examples of Baroque architecture in the Iberian Peninsula, was built on the site of the old bullring.

The project was designed by André Soares, an architect from Braga, and is his only properly documented work in the city. Although construction began in 1753, it was not fully completed until 1865.