La Badessa, literally “the abbess”, is a renowned Piedmontese-cuisine restaurant in Turin. It is named after noblewoman Maria Catarina Operti di Cervasca, a nun who left the convent for love, eloped and lived happily as a cook, then returned to monastic life in her later years. Now Catarina is back to tell her story, stopping just for a moment before her sweet and sinful escape.

Catarina, featuring a sensual upholstered bench, is inspired by traditional boudoirs and blends new elements and retro details. The historic counter fits in with vintage paintings, but is completed and complemented by a streamlined and contemporary structure; it is a monolith covered in sensual penny-tile mosaic, like an island at the center of the room. Laths add rhythm to the walls, make the paneling lighter and echo the strong vertical lines of the showcase – which features a mirrored back to double the enticing space, warmed up by soft and diffused lighting.

In Catarina, sweetness is explored through the lens of sin: a red filter interacts with the pictures on the wall and turns them into suggestive and risqué images, in a fine game of seduction that balances modesty and provocation.