V&A 'on course' to open new wing

The galleries are part of a nine-year redevelopment programme

The Victoria & Albert museum in London will open its £30 million Medieval and Renaissance galleries as planned next year, its director has announced.

Ten galleries, occupying an entire wing of the South Kensington landmark, will open in November 2009, said Mark Jones.

The wing will feature "some of the most beautiful and historic objects from our collections," he continued.

One gallery will be devoted to the work of 15th Century sculptor Donatello, his contemporaries and followers.

Dramatic sculptures, including works by Renaissance master Giambologna, will stand in a special gallery evoking a courtyard and garden.

Stories and figures

Each gallery will have its own themes, stories and figures, among them the Emperor Charlemagne and the Medici family.

Jones said the wing would "present the V&A's Medieval and Renaissance treasures as continuous displays".

The galleries, he added, has been arranged to tell "the story of European art and design from the year 300 to 1600".

The galleries form part of a nine-year programme of redevelopment, costing £120m in total.

The scheme, dubbed Future Plan, began with the opening of the British Galleries in 2001.