Whoopi Goldberg is one of America’s most familiar faces on television, but part of her heart has long belonged to Italy. After years of holidays, friendships and even a role in an Italian Rai series, the EGOT-winning star has found a new Italian base: a historic home in Ortigia, the island old town of Syracuse in Sicily.
It comes after she sold her villa in Stintino, Sardinia. So where does Whoopi live today, and what is life like there?
Whoopi Goldberg has a new Italian address
The actress splits her time between the United States and Italy. Her day job stays in New York, where she moderates The View. But when she wants to get away, she heads to the sun-soaked island at the edge of Syracuse.
Where exactly does Whoopi live in Italy?
Ortigia is a small island joined to the mainland by two bridges. According to press reports, Whoopi took a historic home here in the summer of 2025, among the lanes leading to Piazza Duomo and the Fountain of Arethusa.
What is it like to live in Syracuse?
Sea, history and mild weather almost all year round, with a cost of living below that of Italy’s bigger cities.
- Population: just over 110,000
- Heritage: a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, together with the Rock-Cut Necropolis of Pantalica
- Atmosphere: not a museum city, but a lively one, young in some neighbourhoods, with much of its social life outdoors
Ortigia is the showpiece, with stone lanes, Baroque palaces, a morning market piled with fresh fish and vegetables, and venues along the seafront.
How much do homes in Ortigia cost?
As of September 2026, homes for sale in Ortigia averaged €2,679 per square metre, according to the latest idealista price report. Rents averaged €12.50 per square metre.
Before Sicily: Whoopi’s Sardinian villa
Whoopi’s previous Italian base was in Stintino, in north-west Sardinia, in the province of Sassari. The villa stood at Pischina Salidda, a seafront area not far from the village.
Stintino is famous for the white sand and postcard-blue water of La Pelosa beach, and for its closeness to Asinara National Park. It is calmer and less showy than the Costa Smeralda, which is exactly what won her over.
What is Whoopi Goldberg doing now?
At almost 71, she has no plans to leave the stage. She is one of the very few artists to have won an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony), and she still divides her time between television, film and personal projects.
- The View: she has moderated the ABC talk show since 2007. It returned in September 2026 for its thirtieth season, with Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin.
- Un Posto al Sole: announced in 2025 at the Rai schedule launch in Naples, her character debuted on Rai 3 on 23 January 2026, as Italy’s longest-running soap marked its 30th anniversary.
- Sister Act 3: in 2025 she confirmed the script was ready and that only Disney’s final go-ahead was awaited.
- Public events: in October 2026 she moderated an evening with Billy Crystal at the Paley Center in New York.
