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

The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence 13 years ago after she attempted to restore a century-old fresco titled Ecce Homo housed within her parish church.

Giménez's handiwork spread across the internet and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the altered depiction of Christ's head looking somewhat like a hairy monkey.

Local Confirmation and Tribute

The 94-year-old's passing was announced by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a very early age".

"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," the mayor posted.

Arilla further referenced Giménez's "now-legendary restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, acting in good faith, chose 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 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the parish priest to proceed.

She also noted that anyone who entered the Church would have observed she was applying paint to the original image.

A Surprising Tourist Boom

The impact of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" meme and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja quickly become a major visitor attraction.

The municipality, which had in the past seen only 5,000 visitors per year, attracted over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the interest.

Today, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to view the famous painting, which is now protected by a pane of glass.

Later Life and Community Support

Following the wave of criticism, with support from local residents and well-wishers globally, Giménez later stage an exhibition of her paintings showcasing 28 of her personal paintings.

She was praised by Borja's mayor for her kind-hearted nature and decades of faithful service to the church.

In the end, what began as a well-intentioned but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an improbable cultural icon and provided remarkable attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.