Spanish Parishioner Who Found Notoriety for Mishandling a Prized Fresco Restoration Dies at the Age of 94
The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has passed away at the age of 94.
Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northeast Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.
Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Monkey Christ", because the resulting depiction of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.
Local Confirmation and Homage
The 94-year-old's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "great lover of painting from a very early age".
"Descansa en paz Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.
Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".
The Artwork's History and the Fateful Act
The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.
In 2012, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to proceed.
She also noted that anybody who entered the church would have seen she was applying paint to the original artwork.
A Surprising Economic Lifeline
The aftermath of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a significant visitor attraction.
The town, which had previously seen only five thousand visitors per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.
Today, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the famous portrait, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.
Legacy and Community Admiration
After recovering from the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers around the world, Giménez later stage an art exhibition featuring twenty-eight of her personal works.
She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the church.
Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration created an improbable piece of pop culture and provided remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.
