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The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous repair job on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has died at the age of 94.

The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her local church.

Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.

Local Announcement and Homage

The nonagenarian's death was announced 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 "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "because of the poor state of conservation it presented, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to repaint the work over".

The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Act

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by nineteenth-century painter 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, stated that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to proceed.

She also noted that anyone who came into the Church would have observed she was painting over the existing artwork.

A Surprising Tourist Boom

The impact of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a major tourist destination.

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 say that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the notorious painting, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.

Later Life and Local Support

After recovering from the wave of criticism, with support from the townspeople and well-wishers globally, Giménez later stage an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal paintings.

She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the parish.

Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration created an improbable piece of pop culture and brought remarkable attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.