Anisotropy measurements and cosmological implications

Abstract
We summarize the present knowledge of the anisotropies of the cosmic background radiation at angular scales over 1° and present recent data on the dipole and quadrupole harmonics from the Florence group. Reviewing models of cosmic structures, we describe the inferences that can be drawn from the data provided that their origin is extragalactic. We end with a critical discussion of the connection of the background anisotropies with the large-scale properties of the Universe.