🔗 Share this article Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Fame for Mishandling a Prized Painting Repair Dies at Age 94 Cecilia Giménez's handiwork of the century-old painting. The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous repair job on a cherished religious painting has died at the age of 94. The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her parish church. Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", because the altered depiction of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate. Official Confirmation and Tribute The 94-year-old's passing was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a very early age". "Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote. Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over". The Painting's History and the Now-Infamous Intervention The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza. In 2012, Giménez, then 81, stated that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to do the work. She added at the time that anyone who came into the Church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing artwork. A Surprising Economic Lifeline The impact of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant visitor attraction. The municipality, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand tourists per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the interest. Currently, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the notorious painting, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass. Later Life and Community Admiration After recovering from the wave of criticism, with support from local residents and well-wishers globally, Giménez later stage an art exhibition featuring 28 of her own paintings. She was praised by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of faithful service to the parish. In the end, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful art repair forged an unlikely cultural icon and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.