Spanish Parishioner Who Found Fame for Mishandling a Prized Fresco Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous repair job on a valuable religious painting has died at the age of 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the altered likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Official Confirmation and Homage
The nonagenarian's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate lover of painting from a young age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting's History and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to do the work.
She added at the time that anybody who came into the church would have seen she was painting over the original artwork.
An Unexpected Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a major visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Currently, officials say that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.
Later Life and Community Support
After recovering from the initial backlash, with support from local residents and well-wishers around the world, Giménez went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings featuring 28 of her own works.
She was commended by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of faithful service to the church.
In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration created an improbable cultural icon and provided remarkable attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.
