  The last decade of research on elliptical galaxies has produced a wealth of
new information concerning both their detailed structure and their global
scaling relations. We review the old and new results about isophote shapes and
subcomponents (Sect. 1), scaling relations of global parameters and redshift
evolution (Sect. 2), and the ages, metallicities (Sect. 3) and abundance ratios
(Sect. 4). Finally, we confront the observations with hierarchical formation
scenarios of elliptical galaxies (Sect. 5). The picture emerging from this
variety of observational evidence is broadly consistent with the merging
scenario of hierarchical structure formation models, but the stellar population
properties of ellipticals pose some challanges. The formation of ellipticals
must have always involved some dissipation. The gas fraction at the last major
merger event presumably has strong influence on their present day properties.
Most elliptical galaxies are old systems, but disky ellipticals might be
younger than boxy objects and have more extended star formation histories. The
small scatter and the redshift variations of the scaling relation are
compatible with passive evolution. The high Mg/Fe overabundances of luminous
(boxy) ellipticals point to a rapid star formation episode, while
low-luminosity objects have values of Mg/Fe nearly solar, allowing for an
extended star formation history.
