This museum displays the archaeological finds of ancient Butrint and surrounding area. It was created in 1950 in the premises of a fortress of the Venetian period, in the city acropolis. Initially the museum displayed the objects found by the Italian Archaeological Mission in the period between two World Wars in Butrint which was spared from the destructions of world war II. The beginning of the systematic excavations by albanain archaeologists in this city increased sensitively the archaeological objects and monuments which were displayed between some Museum reconstructions, especially that of 1988, when it took its most complete shape. In summer 2005 the museumwas renovated and enriched with finds discovered by the joint excavations of Archaeology Institute and Butrinti Foundation since 1994. The reopening of the museum was made possible by the support and the financial contribution of the Archaeology Institute, Butrinti Foundation, Leventis Foun
dation and Butrinti National Park.
The city history, with its birth, development and its decline is shown by archaeological objects and
written documents of ancient authors. The presentation of other smaller inhabited centers around
Butrint clarifies better the conditions of Butrint city rise and flourishing during Antiquity and Roman
period. Within the Antiquity period, a special place is occupied by the display of monetary circula
tion and the numerous inscriptions in Butrint that speak about the social and political organization
of the city in Late Antiquity and a part is dedicated to Byzantine period where the show cases and
the panels display the shrinking of the city and its transformation into a religious centre.
The material exposed in the museum, the great number of monuments discovered and well-pre
served and the pictoresque environment with the respective explaining tables, increase a lot the
information received by the visitor.
All the content of the museum is explained on the basis of three criteria: the chronologic criterion,
which aims to introduce the development of the city in various periods, beginning from deep pre
history (Stone Age) until its fall during the Middle Age; thematic criterion, which introduces aspects
of everyday economic and social life, such as crafts, trade, relations with the region and Mediterranean,
art, cult, education, etc, and the didactic criterion, which is implemented by introducing panels,
maps, drawings, models, three dimensional reconstruction of main monuments, etc.
As such, the Archeological Museum of Butrint is a museum of contemporary standards and very
special in its field.
Your request has been submitted successfully.
Own or work here?