The finely decorated portal, made by sculptor Fernando Onori, is a copy of the original, which is currently held in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

The interior, with its apse frescoed in 13^th century works depicting the Virgin Mary enthroned with saints, contains fragments of marble with winged figures which are perhaps from a sarcophagus and a ciborium.

The church dates back to the 11^th century. Its importance and power gradually increased right up until the beginning of the 13^th century. After the massive damage caused between 1228 and 1239 by Federico II, the church was rebuilt and the original layout was completely altered: the choir area was enlarged, the facade and bell tower were built and the semicircular apse was changed to be square-shaped and became the extension to the naves.

The abbey's period of decline began at the beginning of the 16^th century; around 1800 the abbey had partly collapsed, and at the beginning of the 20^th century the roof had completely collapsed and the entrance to the main portal had been walled up.

In 1958 a major restoration project gave the church back to the community.

Bibliography:

Santini L. (1998), Guida di Terni e del ternano, Ponte S. Giovanni (PG), Quattroemme 
Sperandio B. (2001), Chiese romaniche in Umbria, Ponte S. Giovanni (PG), Quattroemme