Spanish Parishioner Who Gained Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Fresco Repair Has Died at Age 94
The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her infamous repair job on a cherished religious painting has passed away at the age 94.
The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she undertook to repaint a century-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", because the altered depiction of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Official Announcement and Homage
The 94-year-old's death was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age".
"Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to apply new paint over the original".
The Painting'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 hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
At the time, Giménez, then 81, explained that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to do the work.
She also noted that anybody who came into the church would have observed she was painting over the original image.
An Unexpected Tourist Boom
The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant visitor attraction.
The municipality, which had previously seen only five thousand tourists per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the famous painting, which is now protected by a pane of glass.
Legacy and Local Admiration
Following the initial backlash, backed by local residents and others around the world, Giménez went on to stage an art exhibition featuring twenty-eight of her personal works.
She was commended by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of dedication to the parish.
Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an unlikely piece of pop culture and provided unprecedented tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.
