Venetian New World Colonies

What if Venice was a really close ally of the Hapsburgs? As long as the Hapsburgs rule Spain, the exit into the Atlantic is secure. Change the outcome of the Spanish war of succession such that Spain does not become Bourbon - say that Wittelsbach guy gets the throne of Spain and guarantees further access to the Atlantic.

Do you think a transatlantic colony could be possible for the Venetian traders?

I understand that the majority of needs the republic had were being fed to them through the Mediterranean, however, with all of the new trade resources they can gather from the new world.

Perhaps they would colonize the area known in OTL as New England, or the Caribbean would be another great location.

Thoughts?
 
It's possible, but just being allowed to freely use the Straits by itself would not lead to it, what you need to do is basically get Venice to realize it needs to stop focusing on the Eastern Med. and start expanding its trade horizons, however this would difficult as those trade houses and settlements in the Eastern Med. had alot of influence and it would take a concerted effort showing the enormous benefits possible to do it.
 
The problem is that from a Venetian perspective there is nothing of interest to them in the America's. Look at the colonies they acquired in OTL. Either they were places that provided staples for the Republic i.e ship timbers from the Balkans and food from the Veneto or they were trading entrepots e.g. Ionian Islands. Why exactly would the Venetians want the pampas? It's too far away to provide useful imports to enhance the Lagoon and there is no potential to use it as a trading base.
The best I think you could manage would be for them Bermuda or a small Caribbean island as a sort of Atlantic Crete.
 
What I struggle with in this regard is how Spain would still allow the straight of Gibraltar open to the Venetians in conflict, or if their overseas North American empire started to really flourish. Regardless of how close an ally they are to each other, likely at some point Spain and Ven would quabble, (traditionally IOTL, Venice was allied to France, which warred with Spain often -Italian Wars-) and Spain would close it off. So I just don't see the feasibility
 
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