Photo Gallery: Keys to the Castle, France

The Chateau de Canisy sits on a 748-acre site in Normandy. It has been home to the same family for nearly 1,000 years. The current owner, Denis de Kergorlay, inherited it in 1977, when he was a young bachelor. Here, ancient history sits side by side with modern-day comforts like central heating. Though clearly expensive to heat such a large place, Denis has an eye toward being environmentally friendly by using wood from the forests on his own land. Some of the rooms feature 20th-century decor, and others contain more authentic period pieces hand-crafted by a full-time carpenter.