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The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her infamous restoration attempt on a cherished religious painting has died at the age 94.

The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her local church.

Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", because the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.

Official Announcement and Tribute

The 94-year-old's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "great enthusiast of painting from a young age".

"Descansa en paz Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," the mayor posted.

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

The Artwork's Background and the Now-Infamous Act

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by nineteenth-century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a century in the Santuario de la Misericordia near Zaragoza.

In 2012, Giménez, then 81, explained 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 came into the church would have seen she was painting over the existing artwork.

A Surprising Tourist Boom

The impact of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a significant tourist destination.

The town, which had in the past welcomed just five thousand tourists per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated over €50,000 for charity from the attention.

Currently, local authorities 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 Admiration

Following the initial backlash, with support from the townspeople and others globally, Giménez went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal paintings.

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

In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration created an improbable cultural icon and provided unprecedented attention and resources to a small Spanish town.