In 1062, the village received its first town charter (Foral), which was confirmed by King Afonso Henriques after the independence of the Kingdom of Portugal (1140). In 1285, King Dinis transferred Vilariça's town privileges to Moncorvo, which from then on also became the seat of an independent district and was given fortifications.

Construction of the current parish church of Torre de Moncorvo began in 1544 and was completed around a century later. In 2022, the church was elevated to the status of a basilica minor, so by now it is the Basílica de Nossa Senhora da Assunção

The Purgatory