Sweet Chestnut burr (Castanea sativa) split to reveal the chestnuts within. astanea sativa, the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world. A substantial, long-lived deciduous tree, it produces an edible seed, the chestnut, which has been used in cooking since ancient times. The species is widely distributed throughout Europe, where in 2004 C. sativa was grown on 2.25 million hectares of forest, of which 1.78 million hectares were mainly cultivated for wood and 0.43 million hectares for fruit production. The wood is widely used in Italy form beams, window frames and furniture because of its resilience and attractive grain. Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Italy November 2020