Paolo Gabriele, the former butler to Benedict XVI who was at the centre of the first Vatileaks scandal, died in a Rome hospital early on Tuesday, sources said.
He went to the casualty department of Rome's Gemelli hospital due to the consequences of a long-standing illness and passed away at 9:30, the sources said.
Gabriele, 54, was arrested in May 2012 after confidential Holy See documents were found in his Vatican apartment.
The material contained allegations of corruption in the management of Vatican City and much went into a book by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi.
He was sentenced by a Vatican court to 18 months in prison but was pardoned soon after by Benedict.
Gabriele leaves a wife and three children.
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