Spanish Woman known for botched Fresco Restoration dies at 94
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Cecilia Giménez, the Spanish woman whose restoration of a century-old painting of Jesus Christ captured global headlines more than a decade ago, has died at age 94.
Officials in Borja, northeastern Spain, confirmed Giménez's death. Mayor Eduardo Arilla told a local newspaper she died in a nursing home.
The foundation that manages the church in Borja where the "Ecce Homo" fresco is displayed said she was a great lover of painting from a young age. 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 at the Sanctuary of Mercy Church because of its poor condition.