The recent X-ray history of NGC 5506

We present a detailed discussion of the spectral and spatial components of NGC 5506, based on XMM-Newton, Chandra and BeppoSAX observations. The overall picture consists of a nucleus absorbed by cold gas with column density of ≈10 22 cm −2 and surrounded by a Compton-thick torus, whose existence is inferred by a cold reflection component and an iron Kα line. On a much larger scale, a photoionized gas extended on ≈350 pc reprocesses the nuclear radiation, producing a soft excess and ionized iron lines. Noteworthy, we find no evidence for the presence of the accretion disc.