Photographer Stefano Battistelli is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this documentary photography. From the project ‘CATCH AS CATCH CAN’. To see Stefano ’s body of work, click on any photograph.

The rule is simple: everyone must take care of the equipment they use. Tidying up isn’t enough, cleaning is part of the deal too.

Greco-Roman wrestling is one of the activities offered at the gym

One room, one ring, one community: a photographic project on a collective gym just outside Rome.

There is a large room that comes to life every day at different times. There’s no fixed schedule, because Mauro – the man who opens it – has another job as well. But whenever he can, he lifts the shutter and switches on the lights.

That room is a collective gym, a small experiment in resilience and solidarity in a town of six thousand people just outside Rome, Italy.

There are no fixed fees, no memberships. Those who can, leave a small donation. Those who can’t, still train. Boys and girls of different ages come when they can, looking for a space to let off steam, to train, to grow.

Mauro — this time seen from behind, throwing a kick.

The building’s load-bearing column, padded with foam and duct tape, has become one of the ring’s corners.

At the heart of the space is a boxing ring, built around one of the building’s structural columns, wrapped in foam and tape to prevent injuries. It’s there that they train in one of the oldest Olympic disciplines: Greco-Roman wrestling.

Around the ring, the organized chaos of a place that’s alive: a climbing wall lent by a friend, punching bags hanging from hooks carved out of the ceiling, and a wooden stall bar salvaged from an old school gym. Everything looks improvised, but every item is there for a reason – held together by a balance that only passion can sustain.

Some of the more high-tech machines were donated by generous supporters who believed in the project. The kids are free to use them whenever they train.

Mauro takes on the role of sparring partner.

This photographic project by Stefano Battistelli tells the story of that room and the people who inhabit it. The shots capture the possibility of creating something that, even just a little, can improve the life of a community.

And it tells of the faces, bodies, and gestures of those who – between jobs or unexpected events – find time to step into the ring or climb a little higher.

It’s not perfect. But it works. And in the end, that’s what matters.

The low-cost rubber flooring was laid by the very kids who train at the gym. It’s not perfect, but it does the job.

The punching bag is one meter away from the ring.
Space is limited, so people need to take turns and stay organized.

Stefano Battistelli is a photographer who lives and works in Milan. Born in 1980, he has worked for over ten years as a creative director in major advertising agencies. His photography ranges from reportage to nature, and thanks to his shots taken around the world, he has won several international awards, such as the Fine Art Photography Award. In 2023, his work was published by National Geographic Italia.
 What fascinates him most when taking a photo is deciding what to leave out, because, as he says: “If you think about it, it’s what’s left out of the frame that makes a photograph truly special.”

All images and text © Stefano Battistelli