Spanish-born Parishioner Who Found Notoriety for Botching a Famous Painting Repair Dies at Age 94

The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her infamous repair job on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age 94.

The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old fresco known as Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.

Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.

Official Confirmation and Tribute

The nonagenarian's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate lover of painting from a young age".

"Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.

Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".

The Painting's Background and the Fateful Intervention

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to proceed.

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 aftermath of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.

The municipality, which had in the past seen only five thousand visitors per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.

Currently, local authorities estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to see the notorious painting, which is now protected by a pane of glass.

Legacy and Local Admiration

Following the wave of criticism, backed by the townspeople and others around the world, Giménez went on to hold an art exhibition featuring 28 of her personal paintings.

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

Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an improbable piece of pop culture and provided unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.