Spanish-born Woman Who Found Notoriety for Botching a Prized Fresco Repair Has Died at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her infamous restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has passed away at the age of 94.
The woman, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she undertook to repaint a century-old painting titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", because the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.
Official Announcement and Homage
The nonagenarian's death was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "great lover of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.
Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to repaint the work over".
The Painting's Background and the Now-Infamous Intervention
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by nineteenth-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near 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 parish priest to do the work.
She added at the time that anyone who came into the church would have seen she was painting over the existing artwork.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
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 tourists per year, attracted more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.
Today, local authorities say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja every year to see the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.
Later Life and Local Admiration
Following the initial backlash, backed by local residents and others globally, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her own paintings.
She was praised by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of dedication to the parish.
In the end, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration created an unlikely cultural icon and brought unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.
