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Cecilia Giménez, Amateur Restorer Behind Borja’s ‘Ecce Homo,’ Dies at 94

Her 2012 repainting turned a little-known fresco into a global curiosity that reshaped Borja’s tourism economy, with proceeds supporting local elder care.

Overview

  • The Santuario de la Misericordia announced her death on its Instagram account.
  • Born in Borja on January 23, 1931, she was a self-taught painter who worked quietly on local landscapes and scenes.
  • She repainted the deteriorated 20th-century Ecce Homo mural in the sanctuary, intending to preserve the image.
  • The episode evolved from controversy into a sustained tourist draw, with the mayor recently citing about 10,000 annual visitors to see the mural.
  • Ticket revenue from visits was directed to the Fundación Benéfica Hospital Sancti Spiritus y Santuario de Misericordia, and she also donated a painting in 2012 to raise funds for Cáritas Borja.