Complex sentence: Despite repeated attempts, he failed to win the prix de Rome, finally receiving only a second prize, but a scholarship from his native Bayonne allowed him to spend three years in Rome (1858-60) independently.
Split into simpler sentences: Despite repeated attempts, he failed to win the prix de Rome, finally receiving only a second prize. However, a scholarship from his native Bayonne allowed him to spend three years in Rome (1858-60) independently.