The monumental complex of Ston and its walls have a centuries-old history. Due to a rather prominent geographical location, a short isthmus connecting the Pelješac Peninsula with the mainland and, extraordinery natural resources, fertile fields with an aboundance of water and salt, the Ston area was sattled as early as the prehistoric times. The town area of the mediaeval Ston expanded over the southern slopes of Sveti Mihajlo (St. Michael Hill). A settlement on the top has existed since the prehistory. The St. Michael's Church, located in the immediate vicinity of the present-day town, is one of the most valuable monuments from the Early Middle Ages. In Roman times Ston was named Turris Stagi. In 1333 it became part of the Dubrovnik Republic. From that time, all until the fall of the Dubrovnik Republic in 1808, Ston was its integral part and the second largest town after Dubrovnik. |