To the North it borders on the Aosta Valley and to the East on the provinces of Biella and Vercelli. To the South and West the borders have varied over time but might be taken as being the rivers Stura di Lanzo and Po. The valley of the river Orco and the area around Corio fall within the Canavese. Turin, however, is entirely excluded.
After the death of Arduino, marquis of Ivrea and the first to bear the title of king of Italy (1015), the Counts of Canavese part of the House of Ivrea (who all claimed to be his descendants) shared out the region. This was the beginning of the big families of Canavese: San Martino, Valperga, de Candia, Castellamonte, and later the Biandrate family from Novara.
The House of Savoy started its political expansion in Canavese in the 14th century, and the Commune of Ivrea as well as the Canavese Counts became their subjects.
In the 16th century, Canavese came under French domination, then Spanish domination, then back to French domination. Napoleon's defeat in 1814 returned Canavese under the House of Savoy.
