Montemurro is a mountain village located in the Province of Potenza in the region of Lucania. The village was reportedly founded by Saracens from North Africa in the 10th century. The initial population definitely included the refugees from the ancient city of Grumentum which was destroyed in 973 AD by the Saracens. The population of Grumentum included Roman Jews and native Lucanians who are said to have originated in Anatolia. Other Roman citizens likely came to Grumentum including Egyptians and Middle Easterners. Hannibal and the Carthaginian Army fought a battle at Grumentum and camped just outside the city gates for a decade or so while apparently maintaining a garrison there. A mixing of the populations is a virtual certainty since the city was also friendly to the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians were of Phoenician lineage originating in what later became Lebanon. Other Phoenicians settled in Greece and would have accompanied the Greek colonization of southern Italy as well. Grumentum was not Greek but there were many Greek colonies in the region and this must be considered a major founding element. Lombards must have also made a significant contribution. During the Byzantine period, and specifically in the 7th century AD there were immigrants to southern Italy from Macedonia, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt fleeing advances of the Slavs and the Moslems. Later, there were Norman families in the region and these were joined in the Medieval period by Anjou French, Spanish, Sephardic Jews, Albanians, and possibly Portuguese.