It mirrors the adjacent church of Santa Cristina and faces the Piazza San Carlo.

The arrangement recalls the twin churches (chiese gemelle) of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1681) and Santa Maria in Montesanto (1679) facing the Piazza del Popolo in Rome.

The main designer is uncertain; the work has been attributed to both Baron Maurizio Valperga, and the engineer Galleani di Ventimiglia.

The facade bas-relief depicting San Carlo granting communion to Duke Emanuele Filiberto was sculpted by Stefano Butti.

Above the marble main altar is a painting depicting St Charles genuflects before the Sindone of Turin by Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, also called il Morazzone.