Italy, where a culture's very existence became so important to our understanding of art, sciences, politics, and love.  A culture and people whose passions and discoveries allowed for a playwright to immortalize a love between Romeo and Juliet, and without which Titian's red would never have seduced us or the use of the arch in monumental architecture would not have elevated us.   The fact that it is the country which has the most number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for cultural preservation is testament to its contributions to our cultural experiences.   During my travels here, I was entranced by Italy's architectural feats juxtaposed with its surrounding nature.  While walking among a dirt road outside of Lucca, among the rocks of the Roman Forum, under an archway into a vast space of light,  gliding atop the surface of the water in the Floating City, or eating al fresco under the starts hearing the music within, you are always surrounded by the deep passion of its history.