Romolo Gessi (1831 - 1881), also called Gessi Pasha, was an Italian soldier and an explorer of north-east Africa, especially Sudan and the Nile River.

In 1876, while serving for General Gordon, he explored the course of the upper Nile (Bahr El Jebel), discovering and mapping its derivation from Lake Albert. He then ventured in the territory of the Oromo tribe, later becoming governor of the Egyptian Bahr-el-Ghazal province, where he struggled against the slave trade and also started the deployment of natural gum.

In 1880, while returning to Khartoum, he found the Nile obstructed and was held up for three months, becoming ill. This illness led to his death, shortly after his return to Suez.

After his death, his son Felice published his father's memoirs in the book, Sette anni nel Sudan egiziano (Milano, 1891).