 An alternate theory suggests that the Montenegrin settlers derived the term Peroj from the Albanian word for stream - "përrua" (definite "përroi").In 1562 the town had been emptied due to malaria and plague, and Leonardo Fioravanti from Bologna brought to the area 124 families of farmers from the Romagna region of present day Italy, some of which settled in Peroj.However people from Pula felt their territories had been violated and began a series of persecutions which lead the families to leave the area.