The town was established in 1297 under the name of Gorodok (), lit. "small town"). In 1365, it was moved from the more elevated right to the lower left bank of the Volga River. Since the 15th century, the town has been called Staritsa (lit. "former river-bed"). The name was misinterpreted by heraldists who represented on Staritsa's coat of arms an image of aged nun, which is another meaning of the Russian word "staritsa". In the 14th century, it belonged to the Principality of Zubtsov, which was eventually was merged back into the Principlality of Tver. In 1485 it was formally annexed by the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The Golden Age of the town began. Between 1519 and 1597 the Principality of Staritsa, subordinate to Moscow, existed with the capital in Staritsa. The principality was ruled by Ivan III's son Andrey, and then by Andrey's son Vladimir. While Ivan the Terrible had no children, Vladimir was regarded by boyars as his only heir. As the Tsar suspected Staritsa's ruler of plotting against him, Vladimir and his children were forced to take poison. The opulence of Staritsa during Vladimir's reign can be seen in the Dormition Monastery.