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In two passages of De Administratione, Suger, abbot of Saint-Denis, celebrates the polychrome stained-glass windows of the choir of his abbey, mentioning the profuse expenditure for the materia saphirorum supplied to the master glassmakers, with reference to the intense blue that strongly characterizes the stained-glass windows. This article aims to investigate the possible meanings of the expression materia saphirorum, translated in a discordant and unsatisfactory way in existing modern translations. and proposes, in addition, to trace its meaning to the broader context in which the context in which the work of Suger is inserted, taking into account the spiritual value that the abbot assigned to the polychrome stained-glass windows of the choir and to the precious stones of the liturgical furnishings, both of which were interpreted both variously interpreted as material prefigurations of the heavenly Jerusalem. The analysis will be conducted in the broader context of color studies, which involves linguistic, cultural and anthropological aspects. The following will also be considered questions related to the chromonyms in use in the Middle Ages, the nomenclature of precious stones nomenclature of precious stones and studies on pigments for stained glass, using the analysis of various written sources sources (exegetical texts, technical treatises, lapidaries, encyclopedias) and the results of archaeometrical analyses carried out on analyses carried out on window glass dating back to the 12th century. liturgical furnishings, both variously interpreted as material prefigurations of the heavenly Jerusalem. heavenly Jerusalem. The analysis will be conducted in the broader context of color studies, which involves linguistic, cultural and anthropological aspects. The following will also be considered questions related to the chromonyms in use in the Middle Ages, the nomenclature of precious stones nomenclature of precious stones and studies on pigments for stained glass, using the analysis of various written sources sources (exegetical texts, technical treatises, lapidaries, encyclopedias) and the results of archaeometrical analyses carried out on analyses carried out on window glass dating back to the 12th century.
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