You're right. And you put forward a good point: the ingredients itself have flavour, which most people just cover or ignore. Too much is as bad, if not worst, than not enough.

My own national cuisine shares a few contact points with italian but I don't really agree with your point. There are many dishes where spices get very heavy handed but are usually layered and the end result is a symphony between all parts. The simplicy us, regardless, commendable. Any good dish relies on simplicity.