The church still preserves its Dominican style structure of the 13th century. The Dominicans came to Piacenza around 1220 and, subsequently to donations received close by the Beverora stream, they founded a church with an annexed monastery dedicated to Saint John “in canale” to distinguish it from other churches dedicated to the same saint.

Close by San Giovanni church there was the church of Santa Maria del Tempio, which housed the Knights Templar, and when the order was suppressed in 1312 the building was forgotten until it disappeared completely in the second half of the last century. The Dominicans in Piacenza championed the Inquisition (the hearing room can still be seen), which was suppressed in Piacenza in 1797 under the French domination. 

Inside San Giovanni in Canale there are interesting sepulchral monument of which one from the 14th century belongs to Scotti family. In the 16th and 17th century the church was renovated on the inside according to the taste of the time, with stuccoed and gilded decorations. From the 19th century there is the majestic Rosario chapel, in Neoclassic style and decorated with canvases by Gaspare Landi and Vincenzo Camuccini.