  We present a summary of the results obtained with a time-dependent, one-zone
toy model aimed at exploring the importance of radiative feedback on the
co-evolution of massive black holes (MBHs) at the center of stellar spheroids
and their stellar and gaseous components. We consider cosmological infall of
gas as well as the mass and energy return for the evolving stellar population.
The AGN radiative heating and cooling are described by assuming photoionization
equilibrium of a plasma interacting with the average quasar SED. Our results
nicely support a new scenario in which the AGN accretion phase characterized by
a very short duty-cycle (and now common in the Universe) is due to radiative
feedback. The establishment of this phase is recorded as a fossil in the
Magorrian and Mbh-sigma relations.
