Ascending to the throne as the Ban of Bosnia in 1353, at the age of only 15, Stjepan would go on to greatly expand the lands he inherited, eventually being crowned the King of Bosnia and Serbia in 1377. Of the many achievements and conquests of his nearly four-decade-long rule, the one most directly responsible for the erection of this massive monument on the beach next to Herceg Novi's harbour was the founding of the medieval forerunner of the present day town in 1382, when it was originally known as Sveti Stefan.