In beautiful Piazza Arringo, where the Forum rose in Roman times, there is the Pinacoteca Civica, one of the richest collection of religious art in Italy including works by Cola dell'Amatrice, Carlo Crivelli, Titian and Guido Reni. In the same square the Duomo dedicated to St Emidio, Patron of Ascoli and deeply worshipped all over central Italy as a protector against earthquakes, which hosts a precious polyptich, a masterpiece by Carlo Crivelli and a silver altar piece in 27 tiles representing Christ's life.

The painter born in Bologna, Guido Reni, enjoyed the highest reputation during his life time and throughout the 17th and ... continue

For 4-6 servings:

• 400 g spaghetti
• 1 kg clams
• 2 cloves garlic
• a small bunch parsley
• dry white wine (optional)
• extra-virgin olive oil, salt, 1 chilli pepper

Clean the shellfish under cold running water, then steep in salted water for half an hour to get rid of any sand. This is very important and should be done with care as the sauce will not be filtered. In a pot heat several spoonfuls of oil, 1 chopped garlic clove, the chilli and a little wine if desired; add the clams, cover the pot and allow the clams to open. In the meantime cook the spaghetti in salted wat ... continue