25 years of scintillating crystals in high-energy physics

Scintillating crystals were always considered the status of the art for high-resolution electromagnetic calorimeters. In the last 25 years this supremacy was maintained in the presence of new unprecedented challenges set by the dimensions and the requirements of the high-energy detectors. These achievements have been made possible by a continuous research and development, improving the knowledge of all the basic aspects of the problem and driving the quest of new materials.