History plays an important part in the 10th edition of Festival Mediterranea, currently underway in Gozo.

The festival, organised by volunteers at the Astra Theatre, opened on October 27 with the first of two representations of the opera Norma and runs until November 19.

Upcoming events include an on-site lecture on Saturday led by artist and art-historian Mark Sagona, entitled ‘Baroque to Romantic: Gozo’s Masterpieces’.

The activity focuses on key works produced between the early 17th and the late 19th century, taking participants in several churches to have a first-hand experience of the material under focus.

The discussion will include the baroque of Mattia Preti and his local contemporaries, the late baroque currents of Francesco Zahra and Rocco Buhagiar, the neo-classical traits of Pietro Paolo Azzopardi, the Nazarene and purist art of Giuseppe Hyzler andSalvatore Busuttil and the romanticism of Giuseppe Calì.

The on-site lecture starts at 9 a.m. Those wishing to participate should be in front of the Astra by 8.45 a.m. Booking is essential.

The festival continues for a fourth weekend, this time focusing on Malta’s unique prehistoric heritage with another series of events led by British scholar and archaeologist David Trump.

His first on-site lecture and walk tackles the Bronze Age settlement at In-Nuffara, on November 18 at3 p.m.

The second appointment is alecture, ‘Conversations withSkeletons’, to be held at the Gozo Ministry’s conference hall on November 19 at 9 a.m.

Festival Mediterranea closes with the annual band concert by the La Stella Philharmonic, details of which will be announced soon.

For more information about the festival, visit www.mediterranea.com.mt or call 2155 0985. Events may be booked via e-mail on bookings@mediterranea.com.mt or by calling 7925 6897.