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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, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she undertook to repaint a century-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.

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

Official Confirmation and Homage

The nonagenarian's death was confirmed by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age".

"Rest in peace Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.

Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, decided to apply new paint over the original".

The Artwork's Background and the Now-Infamous Act

The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) by nineteenth-century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia close to Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to do the work.

She also noted that anybody who entered the Church would have observed she was painting over the original image.

An Unexpected Economic Lifeline

The aftermath of the restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant visitor attraction.

The municipality, which had in the past welcomed just 5,000 visitors per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.

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

Later Life and Community Support

Following the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and well-wishers globally, Giménez went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings featuring twenty-eight of her personal paintings.

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

Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed art repair forged an improbable cultural icon and provided unprecedented tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.