Rule reminder
In literary Italian, the condizionale passato is used with heightened frequency for elegant expression of counterfactuals, indirect speech, and nuanced hypotheticals. Verbs like 'valersi', 'avvalersi', 'trarre', 'addurre', 'espungere' appear in elevated contexts.
La storia ___ (svolgersi) diversamente se il messaggero non fosse caduto.