The church, designed by architect Francesco Gallo, was built in 1730 on the site of the old chapel dedicated to the saint, dating back to between 1320 and 1330.
Strongly desired by the whole community, donations for its construction were considerable, both from important noble figures and from the population itself, which also offered its labour force.
Even today, in the popular memory of racconigese, stories survive, handed down from father to son, of long "human chains" of citizens who transported the bricks one by one from the kiln to the building site.
Its brick façade, in pure Baroque style, features a portal adorned with an inscription of dedication to St John the Baptist and the town's coat of arms. Its octagonal dome and imposing bell tower give the church an austere solemnity.
Inside, the splendid trompe l'oeil decoration of the vault was carried out by Paolo Antonio Pozzo, Giuseppe Dallamano and Francesco Antonio Cuniberti, who unfortunately died inside the church when he fell from a scaffold. The altarpiece depicting the baptism of Jesus is the work of Francesco Beaumont.
Also noteworthy are the beautiful crucifix chapel and the baptismal font dating back to 1473 from the Zebreri workshop.
The church was blessed in 1730 and consecrated in 1770 by the Bishop of Ivrea.
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