Why Richard Gere Is Moving to Spain for a 'Great Adventure' with Wife Alejandra Silva and Their Kids

The former PEOPLE's Sexiest Man Alive winner previously shared his desire to move to Madrid with his wife, Alejandra Silva

Richard Gere recently said farewell to a piece of his life in the U.S., six months after first revealing his desire to relocate to Spain.

The Pretty Woman actor, 75, sold his $11 million New Canaan, Conn., home in October, property records confirm, marking another milestone in his transition to spending more time outside America.

The news of the sale comes after he told Vanity Fair Spain in April that he planned to move to wife Alejandra Silva's home country, to allow her to be closer to her relatives.

"For Alejandra, it will be wonderful to be closer to her family, her lifelong friends and her culture," he said of Silva, 41, "She was very generous in giving me six years living in my world, so it is only fair that I give her at least another six living in hers,"

Related: Richard Gere Sells Connecticut House for $11M After Revealing He’s Leaving the U.S. to Be Closer to In-Laws

PEOPLE's 1999 Sexiest Man Alive described his dream life in Madrid as a "great adventure because I have never lived full-time outside the United States." He'll move with his wife and their sons, Alexander, 5, and James, 4.

Silva also shares a son, Albert, 11, with ex-husband Govind Friedland. And Gere is also dad to son Homer, 24, whom he shares with second wife, Carey Lowell. (Gere proudly shared that Homer lives in New York City and "is vocalist for a punk band.")

“I love Spain and I think your lifestyle is fabulous,” Gere told VF Spain. "Also your ability to live transmitting joy and happiness. It is a beautiful place, the food is extraordinary and the people exude sensitivity and generosity, as well as a strong will to laugh and enjoy."

Despite letting go of his Connecticut property, Gere will travel back and forth to the U.S. When that feature was published in April 2024, the actor and philanthropist said he has a house "in the countryside near New York," so he will still have a foothold here.

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Gere has no interest, however, in putting down roots in Los Angeles. “When I hear the word Hollywood, the first thing I think is that it is something very foreign to me," he shared with the outlet. "I have not lived in California for a quarter of a century, nor have I filmed a movie in Los Angeles during that period."

Gere and Silva first met in 2014 at the celebrity-favorite Hotel Treville in Positano, Italy. They wed in 2018 and expressed their desire to have a family together.

A source close to the couple told PEOPLE around the time of their wedding in 2018 that the two were "extraordinarily happy," adding, "They're so comfortable with each other, have fun together and are looking forward to their future together."

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Silva frequently shares updates from their life on Instagram.

In September she wished her husband a happy 75th birthday. “After 11 amazing years together, it still feels like the day we first met,” she wrote. “The journey we’ve shared, the beautiful family we’ve built, and the memories we’ve created are more than I could have ever dreamed of. You make my life better in every way, and I’m so grateful to have you by my side.”

Silva added, “Here’s to many more years of love, laughter, and happiness together. With all my love, Ale.”