It seems that the primitive construction is from the 13th century. This, however, the first information corresponds to the 16th century, when the bell was blessed in 1509 and the extension of the temple in 1571. In 1661 the hermit's house was blessed. In the meantime, the church had been equipped with altarpieces. At the end of the 18th century, coinciding with the construction of new temples in the Priory, the hermitage was considerably enlarged, probably demolishing part of the previous construction. In 1820 it was repaired again, after the French had damaged it in the War of the French. In 1877 they proceeded to venerate the chamber, and in 1864 the staircase of the presbytery was built and the altars had been arranged. In 1936 the image of Sant Joan was protected in the Reus Museum and returned to the temple after the war. At the beginning of the 1980s, an annex house, called "the musicians", was demolished and the facade of the hermitage, as well as the other annex house, were damaged. It is a hermitage of great devotion, having obtained the Jubilee from some pontiffs. In 1977, Montserrat Domingo settled in the hermitage of Sant Joan del Codolar, and has lived there as a hermit ever since.
Crossing point of the GR 174 (Priorat trail) that follows the Llisera path to Albarca and the start of the Tres Esglaons and Montserrat grades.