Rota was born in Milan.

His first comic work was published in 1958. During the 1960s, he drew Superman, Batman, and erotic comics. He made his first Disney comic using the Mickey Mouse character in 1971. He would go on, however, to work primarily with Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck stories. His most well-known Disney-related work is Andold "Wild Duck" Temerary, Donald's dark age Scottish alter ego; as well as the story From Egg To Duck (1984), Donald's biography.

In addition to working with established characters, Rota also does original work. He currently works for the Danish publisher Egmont.