The nucleotide sequence was obtained for the chloroplast gene coding for the large subunit of the ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) of chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), a member of the woody family Fagaceae. Amplification primers downstream and upstream the rbcL open reading frame are also described. By comparing with other angiosperm sequences, we show that the rate of evolution of rbcL in the family Fagaceae is much slower than that observed for the families of annuals analyzed.