A member of the House of della Rovere, Cristoforo della Rovere was born in Turin on 13 June 1434, the son of Giovanni della Rovere and Anna del Pozo.^[1] His younger brother, Domenico della Rovere, also became a cardinal.^[1]

He was educated at the University of Bologna, receiving a doctorate in law.^[1] He then became a juristconsult and a protonotary apostolic.^[1]

On 3 August 1472 he was elected Archbishop of Tarentaise.^[1] Pope Sixtus IV confirmed his appointment on 15 September 1472 and he subsequently occupied the see until his death.^[1] The Pope later made him Governor of the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome.^[1]

In the consistory of 10 December 1477 Pope Sixtus IV made him a cardinal priest.^[1] On 12 December 1477 he received the titular church of San Vitale and the Pope dispatched one of the conservators of Rome to the Castel Sant'Angelo to give him the red hat.^[1]

He was already ill when he became a cardinal and died shortly thereafter in Rome on 1 February 1478.^[1] He is buried in Santa Maria del Popolo.^[1]