Abstract
We review some relevant properties of the observed changes of Hβ, Mg_2, and FeI Lick indices across the surface of 25 bright elliptical galaxies. The impact of these spectroscopic gradients is briefly discussed, in the framework of the leading physical mechanisms that led to galaxy formation. In particular, three relevant evolutionary scenarios are sketched, each one able, in principle, to consistently match galaxy spectral properties and effectively constrain the composing stellar populations in these systems.
