What to do in Basso Canavese

North of the Po and of Turin, where the plain meets the first hills, Basso Canavese is a hybrid and surprising area: fields and 'vaude' moorland, ponds and small lakes, and a dense weave of villages rich in history. Here you can visit the Abbey of Fruttuaria in San Benigno, with its stacked basilicas and 11th-century mosaics, stroll under the arcades of Chivasso, discover Malgrà Castle in Rivarolo and the old town of Cirié. And sit on a Big Bench to take in the view. Here's what to do, depending on who you're travelling with.