Richard Gere recently said goodbye to part of his life in the United States, six months after first revealing his desire to move to Spain.

THE Pretty woman actor, 75 years old, sold her $11 million home in New Canaan, Connecticut in October, ownership records confirm, marking another step in his transition to a longer stay outside America.

News of the sale comes after he said Vanity Fair Spain in April he was considering becoming a wife Alexandria Silvahis country of origin, to allow him to be closer to his loved ones.

“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 to live in my world, so it’s only fair that I give her at least six more living in hers,”

PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1999 described his dream life in Madrid as a “great adventure because I’ve never lived full-time outside the United States.” He will 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 his second wife, Carey Lowell. (Gere proudly shared that Homer lives in New York and “is the lead singer of a punk band.”)

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

Although he abandoned his Connecticut property, Gere would travel back and forth to the United States. When this feature was released in April 2024, the actor and philanthropist said he had a house “in the country near New York,” so he would always have a foothold here.

Gere, however, has no interest in putting down roots in Los Angeles. “When I hear the word Hollywood, the first thing I think is that it’s something very foreign to me,” he told the outlet. “I haven’t lived in California in a quarter of a century, nor have I made a film in Los Angeles during that time.

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

A source close to the couple told PEOPLE at the time of their 2018 wedding that the two were “extraordinarily happy“, adding, “They are so comfortable with each other, having fun together and 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 incredible years together, it still feels like the day we first met,” she wrote. “The journey we shared, the beautiful family we built, and the memories we made are so much more than I could have dreamed of. You improve my life in every way and I am 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.