Cornel

Cornel is a locality in Central Parish with 357 inhabitants, located on the Cornel Pass. At 1500 meters above sea level, it is the highest populated settlement in Brunant. Cornel has been inhabited since the 14th century, and due to its location on the key land crossing of Brunant over the Central Ranges became an important stop and prosperous settlement. Cornel has a mostly dry, high mountain climate with lots of snow in the winter and is known for its cool weather.

From the 14th century to the early 20th century the town was quite prosperous as the only major stop on the pass, but has seen its fortunes decline due to the construction of other crossings of the mountains, such as the Bergen Tunnel. Most of the economy today is centered around farming, along with some tourism.

Etymology
Cornel is named after Pedro (Pere) Cornel, an Aragonese gentleman and knight who was involved in the Conquest of Brunant and a discoverer of the village's area.

Early history
The area of Cornel was first discovered in 1244 during the Conquest of Brunant. The Christian army of King James of Aragon was held up at the Red River and instead of having to build a bridge over the river decided to traverse the mountains. This was a fairly perilous crossing, with some 50-100 men dying. A grave marker can be found dating to that period, probably marking the grave of a soldier.

Early settlement
Cornel, or at least the nearby area would have certainly been first settled by 1300, but first confirmation of its settlement dates to around 1310. The oldest document pertaining to Cornel is a deed from the local church, written in Latin and dating to 1317, attesting to the sale of a hanegada of land (about 830m²) for 5 doblas (gold coins). A church was built around 1315, serving the village for several centuries afterwards.

Most of this area consisted of scattered farms along the road over the pass (the current main street) and by the mid-1300s began to form an actual community. An inn was established around 1340-1350 and became a key stop in the trip across Brunant, and served to bring in money locally. Occasionally a few travelers might have stayed behind to settle, but most passage through the village was temporary.

Growth of Cornel
Cornel was formally grouped as a locality in 1390 under the Venetians, primarily for census-taking. Already by then the region was essentially considered to be a community, having a church for some 80 years. A mayor began to be appointed to oversee local affairs in 1407; prior to then any disputes or issues which could not be resolved by the priest would have had to be taken to Niesburg.

Despite occupying a strategic position in Brunant, Corner never became very big or populous. Firstly, the geography did not allow for much settlement, the winter climate kept away many and its distance from either coast was a further hindrance.

Geography
Cornel is found at some 1500 meters above sea level, with the door of the church at 1501 meters. The center of Cornel is fairly small, though the locality includes other farms further from the actuall village.

Cornel is one of the coldest locations in Brunant. Average yearly temperatures ranges from -5 to 20 Celsius, with the highest temperatures at under 30 degrees and the lowest at -10 or -12. Snow does fall on Cornel during the year, particularly during January and February. Despite this the locals have little difficulty going about their daily lives.

On the mountain above the church one can find a lot of mountain pine (pinus mugo uncinata).

Economy
The local economy is heavily based on agriculture. Most of the local inhabitants either work on farms or run one of the few businesses in town. Eco-tourism, involving nature walks, or by people simply coming to visit in the winter is also important.

In the village one can find a bakery, a small store, two inns and a butcher, which are the big businesses. A lot of business is done directly with the farmers. One of the farmers produces a Witte Vampier-style goat's milk cheese.

Politics
Cornel has had a mayor since 1407 and has elected a mayor since 1885. Despite the population being largely religious, most of the mayors since the 1950s have been leftist, mostly coming from the Social Democratic Party. The current mayor is Joanna Porter, also the town butcher.