Spanish-born Woman Who Gained Notoriety for Botching a Prized Fresco Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her infamous restoration attempt on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The nonagenarian's death was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's History and the Fateful Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the local 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 restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.
The town, which had previously seen only five thousand visitors per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, local authorities say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to see the notorious painting, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Community Admiration
Following the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings featuring 28 of her own works.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of dedication to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful art repair created an unlikely piece of pop culture and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
