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

The woman, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old fresco known as Ecce Homo located in her parish church.

Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", largely due to the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a hairy monkey.

Official Confirmation and Tribute

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

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

Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, 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 ("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 near Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to do the work.

She added at the time that anyone who came into the Church would have observed she was applying paint to the existing artwork.

An Unexpected Tourist Boom

The aftermath of the repaint job led to the creation of the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a significant tourist destination.

The town, which had previously seen only 5,000 tourists per year, received more than 40,000 tourists by 2013, and generated more than €50,000 for charity from the attention.

Currently, officials say that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every 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, backed by local residents and others globally, Giménez went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her personal works.

She was praised by the mayor for her generosity and decades of dedication to the parish.

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