Rule reminder
Exceptive clauses in authentic Italian texts require recognizing: (1) which connector is used and why; (2) the mood/tense of the verb; (3) the semantic relationship between the main clause and the exception; (4) how exceptive clauses interact with the overall discourse structure of the text.
[Literary] 'Nulla era cambiato in quel paese, fuorché le facce dei vecchi, che il tempo aveva consumato come la pietra.' What function does 'fuorché' serve here?