So, I might be misremembering, but I think fettuccine originates in Northern Italy, and they generally use egg in pasta. The south tended to not have the same access to eggs, I think economy was a factor, and as such pasta from the south often doesn't have egg in it. The coastal regions, particularly in the south, also had ample access to sun and wind which in turn is useful when you want to dry fresh food, like pasta.

It's a fairly rich historical subject, and I don't recall a lot of it, but pasta secca (dried pasta, as opposed to pasta fresca - fresh pasta) tends to be made using pretty much just water and flour. Drying facilitates transportation, it's lighter, and shelf-stable.

Through the years, both types of pasta have rather flip-flopped between being considered commoner and luxurious food, through various cultural shifts.