Germany is my homeland. I adore the culture, the people, the nation, and the history. I will never forget Germany's role in the Holocaust, but that can be forgiven.
Italy and Rome were crucially important to the development of Europe. It was, and has always been, an oasis of culture for thousands of years, from the Roman Empire, to the Papacy and the city-states of Venice and Florence, to Unification, to Mussolini. It has been probably one of the most influential regions in the history of the West, and possibly the World.
The oldest beginnings of civilization began there. It is illegal to dig a hole because of the immense amounts of historical artifacts one is bound to dig up.