San Giovanni Battista, Church and former monastery in Baida, Palermo, Italy

San Giovanni Battista is a single-nave church with Gothic vaults and a straight-ended square choir, at the foot of Monte Cuccio on the western edge of Palermo. A crenellated three-light portico precedes the west front, carved with the Chiaramonte arms above the ogival entrance and with the Paternò, Crown of Aragon, Palermo and Xiabicha arms along the facade. The portal is by Antonio Vanella (1507).

The monastery was founded in 1385 by Manfredi Chiaramonte, who built it for the Benedictines under the title Santa Maria degli Angeli. In 1499 Archbishop Giovanni Paternò reclaimed it, restored church and cloister, and in 1510 dedicated the church to San Giovanni Battista. In 1596 Archbishop Diego Haëdo granted the complex to the Observant Franciscans, who still use it.

The church is dedicated to John the Baptist, whose statue by Antonello Gagini stands on a bracket high on the wall; the original chapel of the saint, with its portico and two columns, stood in the second bay on the right. In the chapel of Saint Anthony of Padua is the tomb of the Franciscan Francesco da Picciano, who died in 1851 in repute of sanctity. The convent now houses a Franciscan centre of spirituality for guests.

The church is accessible throughout the year, though opening hours vary with the seasons and religious observances. It is wise to check ahead for access times, especially during holidays or religious ceremonies.

The church holds the tomb of the Venerable Francesco da Picciano, a Franciscan friar who died in 1851 in repute of sanctity; it stands in the Chapel of Saint Anthony of Padua, next to the saint's statue. The friars came into possession of the complex in 1596, granted by Archbishop Diego Haëdo at the request of the Palermo Senate.