is it possible for an "Italian America" to happen?

so as some of us know, numerous explorers of the americas were italian or of italian descent, but despite this, there was never an italian colony established by either of the italian city states. Now i know there was a expedition made by Tuscany to Today's French Guinea so that could be a place to start.
 
to my understanding this was because of the divided nature of Italy and many of its investments in eastern trade is what stopped many of the expeditions. if Tuscany was able to stop getting tied down in war i very well could see it.
another possible pod is for many of those states accepting Columbus and the other explorers proposals as they went all around Italy trying to get support so if Naples, Milan, Genoa, Venice and Tuscany were to accept then i could see it as it would give many of the Italian states a head start and the expedition you describe go under way.
possible PODS:
have many of the Italian explorers get their support from Italian states.
have something like the your Tuscon colony do extremely well. lead to the other states investing in colonies.
Question what do you think of an effect that this would have on the dynamic of Europe as all of a sudden Italian states all of a sudden have large territorial gains they would jump in? i can see Naples excelling at this with a larger population base to spend. how this affect unification if so is a united Italy much more powerful does it unite earlier? and how does it react with the eastern trade they are having does it boost it?
 
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i can see the expedition being a success if Ferdinand the I survives a bit longer to agree to the expedition or his son takes the same interest in the west
one of the things that the colony would struggle with in the new world would be the diseases present however, unlike Spain and many of the other colonial powers they weren't had massive territories to consider just that one colony back by some of the richest states in Europe as the the time AFAIK Italy was the richest area until the Spanish and Portuguese colonies were established. also too my understanding Portugal gave their blessings to the colony so the only problem i see is them.
 
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Italian states didn’t really have the resources to establish a colonial empire, especially considering that most of them were overrun and subjected to Charles V during the first half of the XVI century.
 
Italian states didn’t really have the resources to establish a colonial empire, especially considering that most of them were overrun and subjected to Charles V during the first half of the XVI century.
Charles had his colonial empire, Spain, Austria and the German states to help him. also at that time Italy was one of the richest areas in Europe. the main crippling factor was their divided nature and many of the rulers having no interest in the west. however, i do believe if the pods i suggested happened then successful Italian colonies can be established before the behemoth of the Spanish empire kicked off in full gear. by the time the states were subjugated the Spanish empire was in full swing without that empire on the scale it was then Charles would struggle to maintain the control he did.
 
I see the main problem is not that the Italians would have trouble funding a colony; or even founding one.

The problem with any and all Italian states in respect to colonial ventures in the Americas is easy access to the Atlantic Ocean.

As soon as these colonies become profitable what is stopping the Iberian powers or any other Atlantic fairing powers (GB, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden) simply cutting off access through the strait of Gibraltar or merely seizing the colonies in the New World.
 
Yeah, the three biggest problems are:
  1. Access to the Atlantic can be cut too easily
  2. Too splintered
  3. Mediterranean trade more interesting.
To work around these problems, you'd have to do sth similar as I did in my Chaos TL:

1. Splintering reduced because some cunning Florentine diplomat suggests to Venice and Savoy to divide Italy north of the Papal States between them (excepting Genoa)
2. Black Death doesn't hit Florence - which lost 70% of pop IOTL
3. Florence loses one naval war against other powers who forbid their ships to enter Mediterranean harbors (loophole: the New World doesn't count, and the Florentines also take Ceuta which is borderline)

Furthermore, after the Ottomans take Naples and the Papal States, Florence first defends successfully (thanks to a new kind of fortress) and later expands into these areas (as ally of the great powers), settling its surplus pop there.

Also, the New World is more divided ITTL.

I still think it's not impossible... but many things would have to go right.
 
Interesting idea that could work; I mean realistically if you have some Italian naval power somehow take and keep Gibraltar and maybe set up coastal fortresses their and in other parts of Iberia/Magreb then maybe they could project power into the Americas.
 
Charles had his colonial empire, Spain, Austria and the German states to help him. also at that time Italy was one of the richest areas in Europe. the main crippling factor was their divided nature and many of the rulers having no interest in the west. however, i do believe if the pods i suggested happened then successful Italian colonies can be established before the behemoth of the Spanish empire kicked off in full gear. by the time the states were subjugated the Spanish empire was in full swing without that empire on the scale it was then Charles would struggle to maintain the control he did.

It’d be still too late, Charles VIII of France invaded Italy in 1494, mere two years after America’s discovery, and his strategic victory at Fornovo opened the way to further attacks. No Italian state could be bothered with colonial enterprises at this critical time.
 
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It’d be still to late, Charles VIII of France invaded Italy in 1494, mere two years after America’s discovery, and his strategic victory at Fornovo opened the way to further attacks. No Italian state could be bothered with colonial enterprises at this critical time.
fair enough
 
Visconti Milan in my timeline is taking over the Spanish role in discovering and colonizimg the new world. Unifying the peninsula by 1410 and taking Gibraltar, Valencia, Balearics, and supporting Grenada allow Genoa at al to dominate trade in the North Atlantic, taking over the role Portugal did for slaves, gold etc. This gives them a strong presence in the Atlantic which in turn eventually lets then colonize the Americas, over the backs of a divided and wartorn Iberia.

So unify at least the North, and secure Gibraltar and probably crush Aragon and Castille to prevent competition, and give it a few decades as the Italian merchants do their thing in Morocco and the Gold Coast.
 

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The Italian states also lack one thing: Atlantic coast. They'd have to exit the Mediterranean through the straits of Gibraltar (controlled by Spain and later by Britain).
 
Is it possible for an "Italian America" to happen?

Argentina.

Buenos Aires was basically populated by Italians. Check out this sculpture of Romulus and Remus in Buenos Aires which reflects the city's Italian heritage:

botanico-buenos-aires-argentina-september-2017-the-capitoline-wolf-K34F0R.jpg
 
Argentina.

Buenos Aires was basically populated by Italians. Check out this sculpture of Romulus and Remus in Buenos Aires which reflects the city's Italian heritage:

botanico-buenos-aires-argentina-september-2017-the-capitoline-wolf-K34F0R.jpg


While the Italian contribution to the Argentinian nation, its people, and language is undoubtedly strong I think the OP is looking for a directly controlled Italian colony. By the logic with Argentina parts of the US and other places in Latin America would be “Italian America”.
 
While the Italian contribution to the Argentinian nation, its people, and language is undoubtedly strong I think the OP is looking for a directly controlled Italian colony. By the logic with Argentina parts of the US and other places in Latin America would be “Italian America”.

And, despite Argentina and Uruguay's heritage, they kept being Spanish-speaking nations, especially since the immigrants from Italy often didn't know any other language but their local dialect, and had to resort to Spanish to communicate with people from the rest of the peninsula and the rest of their host country.
 
Point. In the aforementioned Chaos TL Florentine (on which standard Italian is based) spreads faster too, because the rest of Italy is depopulated and only Florence was spared (and was overpopulated already). So Florentines settle in other parts, the upper and middle class starts speaking standard Italian, and is imitated later.
 
You'd need pre-colonial PoD to effectively unify the Italians in some way. An example could be a Lombard League that persists as a confederation that centralises and effectively takes over Italy. The story of that happening would inevitably be fascinating considering the historic rivals it would include, but its an example of a PoD.

Using that idea of a couple of centuries of Confederation/Federation (Lets go Federal to make it easier) - you now have the Italians still in relative competition and central to European trade - and likely the main force fighting against North African Piracy. Stronger naval traditions, potentially even going so far as to attack Granada to isolate the Atlantic ports of Morocco from the Med - Now you have the Italians with a secure route to the rest of the world.

Suddenly all those Italian explorers can work for Italy, and bring back news of the New World - Gold, Trade, Sugar, etc, right into the hands of the wealthiest merchant families in Europe. I don't know what the exact model of Italian colonisation would be, but the potential is there for a much more aggressively mercantile, than territorial approach, perhaps in a similar way to the French, or going Spanish, or English Style.

So yeah, it is possible. You just need to somehow have Italy address Atlantic Access AND its have the resources under an authority able to both defend the colonies, but push for them in the first place.
 
Well, a succesful Genoese colonization of the Canary Islands could be a start. The island of Lanzarote is name after his discoverer, the Genoese Lanzerotto Malocello after all. Have the Guanches not revolt against him, and the islands used as a base for the exploration of the African coast. The Republic of Genoa, who AFAIK was already entangled in Iberian commerce and politics, strengthens her ties with the Iberian kingdoms, takes an effective role in the Reconquista, and is awarded Gibraltar after the fall of Granada. Then... Butterflies, I guess, but at least it gives Genoa a "place under the Atlantic sun".
 
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