A new gallery for Spanish art is due to open in Bishop Auckland in north-east England in summer 2018. Developed by the Auckland Castle Trust, the £5.5m exhibition and research centre will occupy a former bank and adjacent school converted by the architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. Golden Age masterpieces by El Greco, Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán make up the heart of the collection. Auckland Castle recently purchased the painting Christ on the Cross, by El Greco and studio (1600-10), for £2.5m. The project is funded largely by the London-based investment manager Jonathan Ruffer, who chairs the trust.
