monument of Louis XIV of France -- an ambitious intrusion that created a furore in papal Rome. Mazarin died in 1661 and the pope in 1667, and so, while Gueffier's will was successfully contested by a nephew who claimed half, the project lay dormant until Pope Clement XI Albani renewed interest in it in the early 18th century.

A competition held in 1717 was won by Francesco de Sanctis, though Alessandro