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The elderly woman from Spain who made international headlines for her poorly executed restoration attempt on a valuable religious painting has died at the age of 94.

Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a century-old painting titled Ecce Homo housed within her local church.

Giménez's restoration effort quickly went viral and was dubbed "Monkey Christ", because the altered depiction of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate.

Official Announcement and Homage

The nonagenarian's death was announced by the town's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, in a social media post, where he described her as a "passionate lover of painting from a very early age".

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

Arilla further referenced Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in August 2012, which "due to the poor state of conservation it was in, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over".

The Painting's Background and the Now-Infamous Act

The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church close to Zaragoza.

At the time, Giménez, then 81, stated that parishioners had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had been given the go-ahead from the local priest to proceed.

She added at the time that anyone who entered the Church would have observed she was painting over the existing image.

A Surprising Economic Lifeline

The impact of the restoration spawned the "Monkey Christ" internet phenomenon and transformed the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination.

The town, which had in the past seen only five thousand visitors per year, attracted more than 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 travel to Borja each year to see the famous portrait, which is now protected by a protective shield of glass.

Later Life and Community Admiration

Following the initial backlash, with support from local residents and others globally, Giménez later hold an exhibition of her paintings showcasing twenty-eight of her own works.

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

Ultimately, what began as a sincere but unsuccessful act of restoration forged an unlikely cultural icon and provided remarkable attention and resources to a small Spanish town.