Declaration of interest: none

Love is the most extraordinary human feeling that has inspirated for centuries artists and poets. Only recently it has become a major topic of scientific investigation. The available findings, although limited and scattered, permit to glimpse a fascinating picture regulated by neural mechanisms which have evolved in parallel with the increasing specialization of the human brain. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of the neurobiological substrates of those complex processes that probably, all together, are part of and/or belong to that feeling which everybody can recognize as love. A particular emphasis will be given to the author’s contributions in this area and to some speculative models which may constitute a starting point for deeper investigations of the biological mechanisms underlying love. The authors ’ opinion is that a deeper understanding of the biological basis of love should promote the social skills of our species and lead to more rewarding love relationships. Key words: biological basis of love, love relationships, biological mechanisms underlying lov