At first, the camp called The Baobab Experience received Rome’s new asylum seekers — in the beginning mainly Eritreans, and later those coming from across North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. A loosely organized volunteer endeavor, the tent city took shape in 2015 as a place where migrants could rest, find nourishment and advice, and then travel on. Donations from Roman volunteers created space for about 250 people. But that first summer, around 30,000 people moved through, with 500 to 800 people accommodated at a time. Individuals would stay five or six days before departing, typically to Germany, Sweden, and other northern European locales that offered jobs and opportunities not available in Italy.

Read more about the project in Places Journal by Carolyn L. White here.