The archpretal church known as in Castello was once inside the walls of Viadana. From 700 AD, there are records of a chapel on the site of the present church dedicated to St Christopher, who remained from olden times a co-dedicatee of the church.

Belonging to the territory of Cremona, this church, like the others (except for San Giacomo Maggiore at Cizzolo), always fell under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Cremona. It was not even separated in 1566, when the Gonzaga family sought to annex the parishes of their Marchesato of Viadana to the diocese of Mantua.

There are no records of the early church until 1522, when the governors of the castle decided to erect a new one. Construction was slow, having encountered several difficulties. It was resumed in 1567 when the architect Pompeo Pedemonte was summoned from Mantua to complete the church, which was given a nave and two aisles in a Latin-cross plan with four side chapels and others at the far end.

In 1858, work began on its restructuring, which lasted until 1887, the year of the rededication. Parazzi drew on various bequests to prolong the church to the east, demolishing first the chapels at the end and then the presbytery and choir, and finally transformed the facade.