The Hyéres Islands, or Golden Isles (Iles d'Or), are three islands off the coast of the Var department, east of Toulon. The name "golden" is said to have been bestowed on them during the Renaissance, because of the light reflected from the golden-brown mica shale.
The Ligurians lived on the islands, possibly a couple of centuries before the Greeks arrived. The Romans eventually replaced the Greeks as rulers of the islands, along with the rest of Provence. Under Roman rule, the islands attracted hermits, and in the 5th century, long after the Roman rule waned, the Monks of Lérins moved onto the islands.
From the 9th century on, the islands were attacked regularly by pirates. In the 16th century, King François I raised Port-Cros and Levant islands to the status of the Marquisate des Isles d'Or, and the Marquis had the responsibility to keep protect the islands from pirates and to keep the islands under cultivation. In an effort to get the people necessary to work the islands, the Marquis first abolished taxes. That wasn't enough, so a right of asylum was established for criminals, as long as they remained on the island. That worked! Hordes of criminals arrived, and eventually turned to piracy themselves.
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