Self-assembly is one of the key concepts in contemporary soft condensed matter. An umbrella term encompassing the various modes of spontaneous organization of micrometer- and submicrometer-size particles into ordered structures of various degrees of complexity, it often relies on remarkably simple interactions and mechanisms. During the past decade we have witnessed a fascinating progress in the field, probably best epitomized by the advent of Janus and DNA-coated colloids. In turn, self-assembly is one of the key principles used by nature to construct living matter, where it frequently takes place in a hierarchical fashion —viruses, for example, consist of genetic material packed into strikingly regular capsids made from proteins. Many of the self-assembly experiments and techniques developed within the soft-matter domain rely on physics and physical chemistry to mimic natural processes, and in these cases the close connection between physics, chemistry, and molecular biology is rather evident.

This School was conceived so as to review the different aspects of self-assembly as comprehensively as possible at an advanced level, complementing the more standard MSc and PhD courses in soft condensed matter physics given at many Universities. As such, the School aimed to bring forward the ways in which the textbook-level behavior of polymers, liquid crystals, and colloids can be used to steer the formation of complex structures by relying, e.g., on forces mediated by an anisotropic, partly ordered solvent or produced by various external fields and on molecular or particle recognition. Also addressed were selected topics in colloid hydrodynamics, wetting and behavior at interfaces in general, given that many experiments and applications involve an ambient fluid, either as the continuum phase in a colloidal dispersion or in the form of a thin film. The School combined lectures describing experimental and practical achievements with the more theoretical and computational views of the field, helping participants to appreciate how closely intertwined they really are.

The School was organized and supported by the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie European Training Network COLLDENSE. The program included nine minicourses consisting of four lectures each, five seminars discussing special topics, and a lively poster session where the students presented their own work. We were happy to see that many of the posters resonated very well with the topics discussed at lectures, which convinced us that the School was indeed timely. We were also very happy to see that the participants included students from Europe as well as from India, Japan, Mexico, USA, and elsewhere, and quite a few observers.

We are certain that the participants' memories of the splendid Villa Monastero in Varenna, which provided an excellent environment for discussions and work, are as pleasant as ours — not only because of science, natural beauty, and rich cultural heritage but also because of the outstanding local organization. Barbara Alzani, Ramona Brigatti, and Marta Pigazzini made sure that everything was very smooth and that we all felt welcome. With their experience and dedication, they really made the School a memorable event. A part of the organizational duties was taken care of by Roberta Comastri and the production of this Volume of the Proceedings was in the hands of Monica Bonetti and Marcella Missiroli. We are sincerely grateful to all of them for their help, and we thank the Italian Physical Society (SIF) for including our School in their Varenna program.

We trust that the material collected in these Proceedings will be appreciated both by students and by experts. The proceedings also include two reprints from Reviews of Modern Physics, and we encourage the readers to consult the original works cited in the Chapters as well as the different textbooks written by the lecturers including the superb Polymer Physics by Michael Rubinstein and Ralph Colby.

C. N. Likos, F. Sciortino, E. Zaccarelli and P. Ziherl