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The Spanish parishioner who made international headlines for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished Jesus Christ fresco has passed away at the age 94.

Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northern Spain, rose to prominence thirteen years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old painting titled Ecce Homo located in her local church.

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

Local Announcement and Tribute

The 94-year-old's passing was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "great lover of painting from a young age".

"Rest in peace Cecilia, your memory will live on with us," Arilla wrote.

Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "because of the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, chose to apply new paint over the original".

The Artwork's Background and the Fateful Intervention

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

At the time, Giménez, who was 81 years old, explained that parishioners had "always repaired everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to proceed.

She also noted that anybody who entered the church would have seen she was painting over the original image.

An Unexpected Economic Lifeline

The aftermath of the repaint job spawned the "Ecce Mono" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja quickly become a major visitor attraction.

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

Today, local authorities estimate that somewhere around 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a pane of glass.

Legacy and Local Support

Following the initial backlash, backed by the townspeople and others globally, Giménez later hold an art exhibition showcasing 28 of her personal works.

She was commended by Borja's mayor for her generosity and decades of faithful service to the parish.

Ultimately, what began as a sincere but flawed art repair forged an unlikely piece of pop culture and provided remarkable tourist revenue to a small Spanish town.