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In the 14th century, the family sponsored the decoration of the Church of San Giovanni, most notably the floor mosaics.
In 1314, Cardinal Egidio Colonna died at Avignon, now in France, where the Popes had withdrawn.
An Augustinian, he had studied theology in Paris under St. Thomas of Aquinas to become one of the most authoritative thinkers of his time, and tutor to French king Philip IV the Fair, ( 1268-29 November 1314 ).
The celebrated poet Petrarch, was a great friend of the family, in particular of Giovanni Colonna and often lived in Rome as a guest of the family.
He composed a number of sonnets for special occasions within the Colonna family, including " Colonna the Glorious, the great Latin name upon which all our hopes rest ".
In this period, the Colonna started claiming they were descendants of the Julio-Claudian dynasty ( similar spurious claims are common among the old Roman nobility, the Massimo case probably being the best known ).

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