Unnoticed inspiration for 1973 "Musketeers" film

Lester's 1973 film was, of course, inspired by Dumas' novel, and by the 1948 film with Gene Kelly as D'Artagnan, but I was struck by the similarity of some characters in both behaviour and appearance in "More Than a Miracle" ("C'era Una Volta"), a 1967 film produced by Carlo Ponti. The characters in question? Sophia Loren as illiterate but gorgeous Isabella as a predecessor to Raquel Welch's Constance, and Georges Wilson as a comic, bloated, eccentric palace chef as a predecessor to Spike Milligan's M. Bonacieux.

Both films take place in the 17th century. It would seem that "Musketeers" director Richard Lester was inspired in some measure by "More Than a Miracle."