We present the results of a shell-model study of nuclei having or lacking few identical nucleons with respect to doubly magic ²⁰⁸Pb. Our calculations have been performed by making use of realistic effective interactions derived from the Bonn A nucleon--nucleon potential. The results are in very good agreement with experimental data showing the ability of these effective interactions to describe with quantitative accuracy the properties of heavy-mass nuclei around closed shells.

PACS numbers: 21.60.Cs, 21.30.Fe, 27.80.+w