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Cecilia Jiménez, Amateur Restorer Behind Borja’s Viral Christ Fresco, Dies at 94

Spanish media report she died at a Borja eldercare facility, with the cause not disclosed.

Overview

  • Spanish outlets said she died on December 29 at a care home in Borja in northeastern Spain.
  • She was 94 and was born in January 1931.
  • In 2012, she attempted to restore a deteriorating Christ fresco in a local church, prompting heavy criticism from viewers who said it looked "like a monkey."
  • The altered image drew international media attention that made her widely known.
  • The church subsequently became a tourist attraction cited as an unusual example of local revitalization, according to Kyodo’s account carried by Chunichi.