Paolo Gorini (18 January 1813 – 2 February 1881) was an Italian mathematician, professor, scientist, and politician[1] renowned as a pioneer of cremation in Europe, primarily in the United Kingdom.

[1] Born in Pavia, Gorini obtained a bachelor's degree in mathematics at the University of Pavia in 1832 and subsequently moved to Lodi in 1834, where he worked as lecturer of physics in the local lyceum.

[1] After the Five Days of Milan (1848), he fled to Switzerland and was further exiled to London, England, where he continued his eclectic studies in natural sciences (anatomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physiology).

He died in Lodi in 1881; following a civil ceremony, his remains were cremated and buried in the local cemetery of Riolo.

[3] In 2021, the documentary film Il mago di Lodi ("The wizard of Lodi") dedicated to his life and works as embalmer was directed by Silvia Onegli and produced by Magestic Film.