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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.

Cecilia Giménez, a resident of the town of Borja in northern Spain, became a global sensation thirteen years ago after she attempted to restore a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo located in her local church.

Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", largely due to the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.

Local 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 very early age".

"Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," 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, acting in good faith, chose to apply new paint over the original".

The Painting's History and the Now-Infamous Act

The Ecce Homo ("This is the Man" in Latin) painted by 19th century artist Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to proceed.

She added at the time that anyone who entered the church would have observed she was applying paint to the original image.

An Unexpected Economic Lifeline

The aftermath of the restoration led to the creation of the "Monkey Christ" meme and transformed the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.

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

Currently, officials estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja every year to see the notorious portrait, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.

Legacy and Community Support

Following the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and others globally, Giménez went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings showcasing 28 of her personal works.

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

Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration forged an unlikely cultural icon and provided unprecedented attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.