Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Cecilia Giménez, Figure Behind ‘Monkey Christ’ Fresco, Dies at 94

Local leaders credit the 2012 episode with turning Borja’s church into a draw that funds elder care.

Overview

  • Borja officials confirmed Giménez’s death at age 94, and the mayor said she died in a nursing home.
  • Her 2012 attempt to retouch Elías García Martínez’s Ecce Homo mural went viral as “Monkey Christ,” transforming the obscure fresco into a global curiosity.
  • Tourism surged to around 40,000 visitors in 2013 and has since stabilized at roughly 15,000–20,000 annually, generating revenue that helps support the town’s care home.
  • The mayor and local church issued tributes praising her generosity, and the Ecce Homo information center is set to be named in her honor.
  • Giménez said she worked with the parish priest’s knowledge; after initial ridicule and anxiety, she embraced her unexpected fame as the story inspired merchandise, exhibitions, and a 2023 opera.