Berliner Tageblatt - Spanish woman known for failed fresco restoration dies

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Spanish woman known for failed fresco restoration dies / Photo: © AFP/File

Spanish woman known for failed fresco restoration dies

TECHNOLOGY 30.12.2025

The Spanish woman whose failed restoration of a century-old painting of Jesus Christ captured global headlines more than a decade ago has died at 94.

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Cecilia Gimenez rose to international fame in 2012 after her botched restoration of the Ecce Homo fresco at a church in Borja, northeastern Spain, drew worldwide media attention.

Her attempt left Christ’s face unrecognizable, sparking a flood of online reactions, memes, and parodies featuring famous figures such as Michael Jackson and Homer Simpson.

Gimenez’s restoration added what appeared to be a mane to the figure of Christ, leading the small painting by local artist Elías García Martinez, created in the 1910s, to be nicknamed the "Monkey Christ."

Gimenez's death was confirmed in a Facebook post by the foundation that manages the Sanctuary of Mercy Church where the artwork is displayed.

The foundation called her "one of the most famous figures of 2012" and noted that she had “with the best intentions, decided to repaint" the fresco because of its poor condition.

The controversy quickly turned Borja into a tourist destination, with about 57,000 visitors coming to see the previously little-known church the following year.

C.Kovalenko--BTB

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