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The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her infamous repair job on a valuable religious painting has died at the age of 94.

The woman, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she attempted to repaint a 100-year-old fresco known as Ecce Homo located in her local church.

Giménez's restoration effort spread across the internet and earned the moniker "Potato Jesus", largely due to the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.

Local Announcement and Tribute

The 94-year-old's death was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, 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," the mayor posted.

Arilla also paid tribute to 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, with the best intentions, decided to apply new paint over the original".

The Artwork's History and the Fateful Act

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for over a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near 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 local priest to proceed.

She added at the time that anybody who entered the church would have seen she was applying paint to the existing image.

An Unexpected Economic Lifeline

The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major visitor attraction.

The town, which had previously welcomed just 5,000 visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention.

Currently, local authorities say that somewhere around 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.

Legacy and Community Support

After recovering from the wave of criticism, with support from the townspeople and others globally, Giménez later stage an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her personal works.

She was praised by the mayor for her kind-hearted nature and years of faithful service to the church.

Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed art repair forged an unlikely cultural icon and brought unprecedented attention and resources to a small Spanish town.