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Cecilia Giménez, Borja 'Ecce Homo' Restorer, Dies at 94

Her 2012 repainting unexpectedly created lasting tourism that funds Borja's social care.

Overview

  • Cecilia Giménez's death at age 94 was announced by the Santuario de la Misericordia on its Instagram account.
  • The self-taught local painter became internationally known in 2012 for intervening on the Ecce Homo mural at the Borja sanctuary.
  • The episode first surfaced online on August 7, 2012 via the Centro de Estudios Borjanos and went viral after an August 21 report in Heraldo de Aragón.
  • Borja's mayor has said the site still draws about 10,000 visitors a year, sustaining interest more than a decade later.
  • Visitor revenue has been directed to the Fundación Benéfica Hospital Sancti Spiritus and the sanctuary to support facility improvements and care for older residents, and Giménez also donated a painting in 2012 to benefit Cáritas Borja.