Ecce Homo

Where it started

The Ecce Homo (Latin: "Behold the Man") in the Sanctuary of Mercy church (Santuario de Misericordia) in Borja, Spain, is a fresco painted circa 1930 by the Spanish painter Elías García Martínez that depicts Jesus crowned with thorns, a traditional subject in Catholic art. While press accounts state the original painting was unremarkable, the fresco became an international sensation after Cecilia Giménez, an 81-year-old amateur artist and resident of Borja, began an effort to restore the fresco in 2012. Her partial attempt at restoration was mocked in the media and characterized as making the image appear like a monkey. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as Ecce Mono (roughly Behold the Monkey, "mono" being Spanish for "monkey") or Monkey Christ. Giménez, who died in 2025, said the state of the fresco reflected preliminary steps in an approved restoration process she had intended to continue. Giménez suffered from the public shaming she received when the incident was widely publicized. The event attracted tourists to Borja and became a source of economic benefit to the community. The fresco has not been altered since Giménez modified it.