It made me wonder if there are any analogous projects in the modern world. Doesn’t seem like there is anything in the architectural realm, but maybe we could consider things like subway systems and infrastructure to be along the same lines, just with modern industrial values and not medieval ones.

Wikipedia sort of counts, in the software world.

...seems to be the sentiment expressed here: there is so much more of everything else to care about than money and fame.

But there is also value in caring about those things a little bit. Propriety is a part of reality after all. We just have to be careful not to delude ourselves into thinking that it's the other way around.