The word “Mahzor,” means “cycle" and is familiar to most Jews as the term used for the prayer book for the High Holidays and festivals. However, in medieval times, the term Mahzor was used to refer to prayer books that contained the complete cycle of prayers for the entire year.

Corfu is an island off the west coast of Greece, near the narrow passage between the Adriatic and Ionian seas. Corfu had a small but vibrant Jewish community from the time of Venetian hegemony (14th century) until the Holocaust. In its time, it served as a refuge for Sephardic Jewish refugees. 

The text at the top of this page is a colophon, recording the date that the manuscript was completed. The decoration beneath it, with its beautiful peacock and flora, is characteristic of local artistic styles.