Šćepan Polje
village in Plužine, Montenegro
Šćepan Polje (Montenegrin: Шћепан Поље, pronounced [ʃt͡ɕɛ̂paːn pɔ̂ʎɛ]) is the name of a small settlement and the region in Plužine Municipality, northwestern Montenegro. It is the border crossing point between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Tara river forms the border between the two countries. Right across the river and the state border is the village of Hum.
History
Šćepan Polje was named after Herzog Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, medieval nobleman, who was known to the locals as Herceg Šćepan. On the hill above the settlement is the medieval Soko Grad, one of Stjepan's favorite residences. The fortress was destroyed by the Ottomans during their conquest of this part of the Kingdom of Bosnia. Below the Soko Grad is the monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church dedicated to St. John the Baptist, known as the Zagrađe Monastery.
Geography and location
The settlement and the region is surrounded on the north by the Tara canyon and on the west by the Piva canyon. The river Drina is formed near Šćepan Polje by merging Piva and Tara, on the territory of the municipality of Foča, Republika Srpska, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Šćepan Polje” is village in Plužine, Montenegro. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Šćepan, Polje and village, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “village in Plužine, Montenegro” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 29, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3112259.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Šćepan Polje”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Šćepan Polje primary sources, Šćepan Polje archive and Šćepan research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Šćepan Polje”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Šćepan Polje” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.