Ston

Ston lies at the entrance to the Peljesac Peninsula on the Dalmatian coast, where salt production and strategic geography made it valuable to the Republic of Ragusa. Salt pans supplied an important commodity and source of revenue, while the position helped control access between the peninsula and the mainland. Fortifications linked the settlement with nearby Mali Ston, creating one of the most distinctive defensive landscapes of the Adriatic.

Ragusa acquired Ston and the Pelješac peninsula in 1333 and developed the fortified towns of Ston and Mali Ston. Walls across the narrow entrance protected both the peninsula and valuable salt pans. Salt production connected local work with the revenue and commerce of the maritime republic.