The monumental complex dedicated to Spoleto’s patron saint is composed of the basilica and its annexed Benedictine monastery. The church was built during the palaeochristian period and maintains its Romanesque façade, with mosaics on the portal and symbols of the evangelists around the rose-window. In 1788, Roman architect Giuseppe Valadier modified the inside following the neoclassical trend. The crypt features 14th-15th century frescoes and is unaltered.
The skull of St. Pontianus is kept inside the monastery and is carried around the city streets yearly on January 14th. The relic remains then on display until the next Sunday, when the celebration for the martyred patron saint takes place.

L’Umbria, Manuali per il Territorio, Spoleto, Roma 1978; A. Sansi, Degli edifici e dei frammenti storici delle antiche età di Spoleto, Foligno 1869