The channel-side city wall

The channel-side city wall. Muret e qytetit përgjatë Kanalit të Vivarit. The texts on this marker are written in Albanian (shqip) (top left) and English (top right). Only the English text has been transcribed. To read the Albanian (shqip) text, enlarge the marker image by clicking on it. , English: , The waning power of the Roman Empire in the West initiated substantial changes at Butrint that are reflected in the construction of a new defensive wall in the second quarter of the 6th century AD. Built somewhat expediently, the new city wall encompassed the lowest-lying parts of the peninsula, protecting an area twice as large as that included by the Hellenistic defences. , New wall sections along the Vivari Channel waterfront, incorporated ruinous Roman structures and blocking the view of contemporary buildings such as the Triconch Palace. Access to the Channel was preserved, however, through maintenance of earlier gates, such as the Lake Gate, and the construction of new ones, the best preserved of which is the Water Gate. , Large sections of the channel-side wall can be seen today between the Triconch Palace and the Lake Gate, including much of the Water Gate, date from a period of reconstruction in the late 11th century. Further refurbishment took place in the 13th century, when Butrint and the surrounding region belonged to the Despotate of Epirus. Renewed need for defence at this time saw reinforcement of the wall with new towers and the narrowing of gates. , The remains of the channel-side city wall, once badly overgrown and dilapidated have been conserved by local masons during the 2007-11. Clearance of invasive woodland has allowed a new set of visitor trails to be established along the entire length of the fortifications.