Valona was the southern border of the Byzantine Thema of Durres. In Summer 1081 the Normans invaded the region and conquered Valona together with Kanina and Orikos. After 1204 Vlora became Byzantine again. It shortly was part of the Realm of Manfred of Hohenstaufen as part of his spouse's, Helena, daughter of the Epirote despote Mihail II, dowry. In the year 1272 Vlora was ruled by Charles of Anjou who became King of Albania. 1340 Stefan Uroš IV Dušan conquered and ruled the region. Aftewards Balsha II became the ruler before the Venetians. In 1417 Valon was conquered by the Ottomans as their first harbour in the Adriatic sea. After the natural harbour was hardly usable the town center relocated during Ottoman rule to the current place (AA I, 23, 255 (4, 73); LjS PP I, 62 (57) - Nazarius episcopus Aulonae; ōd trga Vavlokьskga; castellanum castri Aveloni).