  We provide a pedagogical introduction to $N=1$ supergravity/supersymmetry in
relation to particle physics. The various steps in the construction of a
generic $N=1$ supergravity model are briefly described, and we focus on its low
energy supersymmetric limit. The conditions for supersymmetry and supergravity
breaking are investigated, and realistic mechanisms suitable for particle
physics identified. We then study the model-building aspects of `softly-broken'
supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model and discuss several of their
phenomenological features.
