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The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her infamous repair job on a valuable Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age 94.

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

Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the resulting likeness of Christ's head looking somewhat like a furry primate.

Local Announcement and Tribute

The nonagenarian's death was confirmed 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, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote.

Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to apply new paint over the original".

The Painting's Background and the Now-Infamous Intervention

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had resided for more than a century in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, stated that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had received permission from the local priest to proceed.

She also noted that anybody who entered the church would have seen she was applying paint to the original artwork.

An Unexpected Tourist Boom

The impact of the restoration spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and saw the previously sleepy town of Borja rapidly turn into a major visitor attraction.

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

Currently, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists travel to Borja each year to see the notorious portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass.

Later Life and Local Admiration

After recovering from the wave of criticism, with support from the townspeople and well-wishers globally, Giménez went on to stage an art exhibition featuring twenty-eight of her personal works.

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

In the end, what began as a sincere but flawed art repair forged an unlikely cultural icon and brought unprecedented attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.