Spanish Woman Who Found Notoriety for Botching a Famous Fresco Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her infamous restoration attempt on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old fresco known as Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", largely due to the resulting depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by nineteenth-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that church members had "traditionally fixed 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 image.
A Surprising Tourist Boom
The impact of the repaint job spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.
The municipality, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand tourists per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Community Support
Following the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and others globally, Giménez went on to stage an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her own works.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the parish.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful act of restoration created an unlikely cultural icon and provided unprecedented attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
