  We model the abundance gradients in the disk of the Milky Way for several
chemical elements (O, Mg, Si, S, Ca, Sc, Ti, Co, V, Fe, Ni, Zn, Cu, Mn, Cr, Ba,
La and Eu), and compare our results with the most recent and homogeneous
observational data. We adopt a chemical evolution model able to well reproduce
the main properties of the solar vicinity. We compute, for the first time, the
abundance gradients for all the above mentioned elements in the galactocentric
distance range 4 - 22 kpc. The comparison with the observed data on Cepheids in
the galactocentric distance range 5-17 kpc gives a very good agreement for many
of the studied elements. In addition, we fit very well the data for the
evolution of Lanthanum in the solar vicinity for which we present results here
for the first time. We explore, also for the first time, the behaviour of the
abundance gradients at large galactocentric distances by comparing our results
with data relative to distant open clusters and red giants and select the best
chemical evolution model model on the basis of that. We find a very good fit to
the observed abundance gradients, as traced by Cepheids, for most of the
elements, thus confirming the validity of the inside-out scenario for the
formation of the Milky Way disk as well as the adopted nucleosynthesis
prescriptions.
