Spanish-born Parishioner Who Gained Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Painting Restoration Dies at the Age of 94

The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous restoration attempt on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age of 94.

The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she attempted to restore a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her local church.

Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.

Official Announcement and Homage

The nonagenarian's death was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age".

"Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.

Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to repaint the work over".

The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention

The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, explained that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to proceed.

She also noted that anyone who entered the church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing artwork.

An Unexpected Economic Lifeline

The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.

The town, which had in the past seen only 5,000 tourists per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the interest.

Today, local authorities say that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to view the notorious portrait, which is now protected by a pane of glass.

Legacy and Local Support

After recovering from the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez later stage an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal works.

She was praised by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of faithful service to the church.

In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed art repair forged an unlikely piece of pop culture and brought unprecedented attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.