After the Madama Reale Christine Marie of France lost his eldest son Francesco Giacinto di Savoia, she decided to build a church for his great memory. Construction works began in 1639, first under the direction of Carlo Amadeo then under Castellamonte.
The Royal Lady was buried in 1674, in the convent of the Discalced Carmelite nuns, adjacent to the church.

The imposing facade was designed by Filippo Juvarra between 1715 and 1718 under Vittorio Amedeo II of Savoy. The six huge statues that decorate it are works of Carlo and Giuseppe Nicola Antonio Tantardini Casana.

With the Napoleonic secularization, Santa Cristina was transformed into a Commercial place, and the adjoining convent was deleted. Only with the restoration, the church was consecrated under the will of Vittorio Emanuele I of Savoy, and it was embellished with new marble and a new altar, designed by Ferdinando Bonsignore.

During the Fascism other changes were made and even the convent was demolished. The interior has a twin nave like the church of San Carlo. As a side altar opens a rectangular chapel with a painting by Antonio Triva entitled Rest of the Flight into Egypt.