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Native name: Îles de Lérins | |
|---|---|
 Map of the Lérins Islands | |
  Lérins Islands  Lérins Islands  Lérins Islands | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Mediterranean Sea |
| Coordinates | 43°31′03″N07°02′42″E / 43.51750°N 7.04500°E /43.51750; 7.04500 |
| Adjacent to | Bay of Cannes |
| Total islands | 5 |
| Major islands | Île Sainte-Marguerite, Île Saint-Honorat |
| Area | 2.5 km2 (0.97 sq mi) |
| Coastline | 12 km (7.5 mi) |
| Highest point | Fort of Sainte-Marguerite |
| Administration | |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Alpes-Maritimes |
| Commune | Cannes |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 40 |
| Pop. density | 16/km2 (41/sq mi) |
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TheLérins Islands (inFrench:les Îles de Lérins,pronounced[lɛz‿ildəleʁɛ̃s]) are a group of fiveMediterraneanislands off theFrench Riviera, inCannes. The two largest islands in this group areÎle Sainte-Marguerite andÎle Saint-Honorat. The smaller Îlot Saint-Ferréol, Îlot de la Tradelière and Îlot de l'Ilon (also called l'Îlot) are uninhabited. Administratively, the islands belong to thecommune of Cannes.
The islands are first known to have been inhabited during Roman times.
The Île de Saint-Honorat bears the name of the founder of themonastery of Lérins,Saint Honoratus. It was founded around the year 410. According to tradition,Saint Patrick, patron ofIreland, studied there in the fifth century. Around 500, the community was led byPorcarius I. Around 732, the AbbotPorcarius II was killed during aSaracen raid.
In 1047 the islands were raided bypirates fromAndalusia. Thereafter, a fortified monastery was built between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. The monastic community today lives in a monastery built during the nineteenth century.
The Île Sainte-Marguerite held afortress where theMan in the Iron Mask was held captive for a time.[1]
In 1707 the Lérins were occupied by the English navy, under the command ofSir Cloudesley Shovell. This was done in order to block the military port ofToulon to help the army ofVictor Amadeus II Duke of Savoy and his cousinEugene besiege that city.
Under theFrench Revolution, the Île Sainte-Marguerite and the Île Saint-Honorat were renamed the ÎleMarat and the ÎleLepeletier, after secular martyrs.
Île Sainte-Marguerite (Saint Margaret Island) is about a 15-minute boat ride away from Cannes harbour. The cell of the mysterious 'Man with the Iron Mask' can be visited in the Fort of Sainte-Marguerite, now renamed the Musée de la Mer (Museum of the Sea). This museum also houses archaeological discoveries from shipwrecks off the coast of the island, including Roman and Saracen ceramics. There is a regular boat service from the mainland.
Île Saint-Honorat (Saint Honorat Island), the smaller, southern island, is only inhabited byCistercian monks. Monks have inhabited the island more or less continuously since AD 410 and, at the height of their secular power, owned Cannes, Mougins, and Vallauris, plusSeborga, Italy. Medieval vestiges remain in the stark church, which is open to the public, and in the ruins of the 11th-century monastery on the sea's edge. The monks divide their time between prayer and producing red and white wine, honey, lavender oil and Lérina, a herbal liqueur. Although closed to the general public, the monastery welcomes guests for week-long retreats. The monks also run the only boat trips to the island, with departures from Cannes' jetty Albert-Edouard.
