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Ston is a city in Dalmatia, Croatia. 

 

In order to know Pelješac as an unique and historical entity, it is best to start with Stonska Prevlaka (Ston Isthmus), the single connection with the mainland. Recessed among hills, it extends 1.5 km between the southern and northern coasts. Archaeological finds here show that Mediterranean and Balkan cultural groups were both present, and in prehistory an exchange of goods took place by land and sea. This area has attracted streams of men and merchants from the mountainous interior and the open Adriatic Sea.

The Tabula Peutingeriana, the first geographical map of the Adriatic from ancient Rome, shows a fort at this locations with the name of Turris Stagni. Approaching from land, Roman walls can be seen near Zamaslina. Part of an Illyrian defensive strategy was the hill-fort at Humac, wich controlled all of Malostonski Zaljev (Mali Ston bay). It was the guardfort of this small area, a desired location since ancient times due to itssheltered position and natural features of this basin that include exceptional maritime and cultural qualities (now a protected preserve).

A monumental defensive system, the largest fortification and urban achievements in Europe at the time. Dubrovnik invested huge sums of money and employed the many buiders. During the first thirty years, the defensive walls, the longest in Europe, were built from one side of the peninsula to the other.