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The elderly woman from Spain who achieved global fame for her poorly executed 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, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her local church.

Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.

Local Confirmation and Homage

The 94-year-old's death was confirmed 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".

"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.

Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to repaint the work over".

The Artwork's Background and the Fateful Act

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a hundred years in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that church members had "always repaired 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 observed she was painting over the original image.

An Unexpected Economic Lifeline

The impact of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major tourist destination.

The town, which had previously welcomed just five thousand visitors per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.

Currently, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.

Legacy and Local Admiration

After recovering from the initial backlash, with support from the townspeople and others around the world, Giménez went on to hold an exhibition of her paintings featuring 28 of her personal works.

She was praised by Borja's mayor for her generosity and years of faithful service to the church.

Ultimately, what began as a sincere but flawed act of restoration forged an unlikely piece of pop culture and brought remarkable tourist revenue to a humble Spanish town.