Museo Paolo Gorini

Museo Paolo Gorini. Andrea IX (Atlas Obscura User)

Human body parts fill this small museum. The macabre collection offers an intriguing look into 19th-century science, and also preserves the work of a famous Italian scientist.

The small museum is located inside the old hospital in Piazza San Francesco. It’s named for Paolo Gorini, a 19th-century doctor and historical figure from Lodi who developed a special—and secret—procedure for preserving corpses.

Gorini was born in Pavia on January 28, 1813. A professor of mathematics and physics, he was also passionate about volcanology, and was a standard bearer of science as a man of Positivism could understand it. Perhaps most notably, he also invented a technique for “petrifying” bodies to preserve them for eternity.

The two bodies, as well as the other anatomical specimens displayed in the Museo Paolo Gorini, speak to his corpse preservation skills. The museum’s collection contains hundreds of human anatomical specimens carefully displayed within glass cases.

Know Before You Go

The preserved human specimens may be a bit jarring/unsettling, so keep this in mind if you chose to visit.

There is parking a few meters from this museum. Check the opening times and days on its website. Admission is free, and the manager will take you into the museum to explain what you will see.

Gorini was also one of the first Italian supporters of cremation, so after viewing the collection, you might like to visit the crematorium of Riolo. It's located a few miles from Lodi and was designed by Gorini himself.

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