ROME, Aug 29 — Residents of the Umbrian town of Perugia gathered last evening in the main square to eat pasta all’Amatriciana in support of the earthquake victims from neighbouring communities.

At least 290 people died in Wednesday’s (August 24) 6.2 magnitude earthquake which hit the regions of Lazio and Le Marche bordering Umbria.

Some 500 people took part in the initiative which served up the local speciality pasta and sauce, which hails from the town of Amatrice badly hit by the quake.

The "Amatriciana” sauce is made from tomatoes and bacon and a hearty sprinkling of pecorino cheese.

Volunteers prepare ‘Amatriciana’, a type of pasta dish created in Amatrice, at a tent camp in Sant’Angelo, following an earthquake in central Italy, August 28, 2016. — Reuters pic

All donations were made at the discretion of the pasta eaters and the collected money will be used to provide essentials such as food and drinks to the quake victims.

Towns all over Italy have taken part in the event collecting money for the quake victims.

The central Umbria region also experienced a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in 1997 which brought devastation to the region with parts of the ceiling of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi collapsing. — Reuters