Triconch Palace in Butrint

The Trikonch Palace in Butrint was originally a traditional Roman villa from the 2nd-3rd centuries AD with a peristyle and rooms covered with mosaics. It was transformed into an impressive palace about 420 AD, complete with a gate that led to a pier where distinguished visitors might arrive by sea. The palace was named after the three massive alcoves, known as conchs, around the lavish dining room.

Archaeologists believe the building was suddenly abandoned shortly before its completion. They infer this from the fact that the roof was completed, the window frames fitted, but the floors were never paved, and even the walls were left unplastered. The suspension of the work was probably due to a rise in the level of Butrint Lake.

The palace is located on the banks of the Vivar Canal, southeast of the former centre around the Asclepius Shrine. It has a well-preserved wall plan that gives visitors a sense of its massive proportions. The only surviving parts of the building are the remains of the niches (conches) that gave the palace its name.

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