At the western end of Liberation Avenue stands the former Ghibi Palace, built in 1897 by the first Italian civilian governor of Eritrea, Ferdinando Martini. It is the oldest substantial European-style building in Asmara, predating most of the modernist masterpieces by decades.
For a long period the building housed the National Museum (now relocated). It is no longer regularly open to the public, but the surrounding gardens and the building's exterior can be appreciated from outside. A pair of bronze lions guards the entrance.