Renato Minetto was born in Milan in 1931. After finishing his studies and many travels to England and USA, he began to work. In 1954 he establishes the Minetto SpA company, specialised in the production of safety devices for the work place. At the end of 1972 the company merged with Gilardini SpA (now part of the FIAT Group).
Renato Minetto has always tried in his life to turn his own passions into work.
His passion for travelling and discovering new landscapes took him to become a documentary producer for major European and American broadcasting televisions between 1972 and 1974, with expeditions to Asia, Africa and Latin America.
His love for sailing took him into the editorial world at the end of 1974, when he becomes president of the Mursia Mare publishing house.
His willing is to narrate man and the environment where he lives: natural or artificial it may be. Natural environment leads him to establish in 1993 the “Verde in Comune” association, which takes care of the renovation of parks and gardens in Milan. In December 1994 the association is awarded of the Ambrogino d’Oro prize.
Minetto’s interest for man and for artificial environment, built and created by man, has been expressed in his work as publisher of “Abitare”, as president and publisher of the Abitare Segesta SpA publishing house, the most important one in Italy in the field of architecture and building, which publishes Abitare, Case da Abitare, Costruire, Costruire Impianti, Crossing.
He has become member of the Comitato di Presidenza and of the Consiglio Federale of the Federazione Italiana Editori Giornali in Rome.
Abitare is not only a magazine, but it represents a way of interpreting the concept of home, its building, interior and external creation as a sort of art. An art work made through people, animated objects and materials, the choice of which has a meaning.
Abitare’s readers are professionals. That’s why the publishing house has always aimed to publish more and more specialised magazines. Costruire: a magazine for those working in the field of building, with information on materials, and also on economy and law changes in industry. Crossing magazine: which focuses on the connections between technology and architecture. And then the classic Abitare which in 2003 celebrated its 40 years, always new and strong in its solid traditions as a cult publication in the field of design. 
In 1989, with a group of well known people in the world of architecture, Minetto revitalises the magazine Zodiac, founded by Adriano Olivetti in 1957.
In 1989, after the publication of an Abitare monographic issue on Miami, he receives the honorary citizenship of the city, while in 1988 he receives the one of Chicago. In 1992 he is co-opted by the Wolfsonian Foundation’s board of directors in Miami, and elected Treasurer. He is member of the Museum Trustee Association of Miami.
He is vice-president of the Club Européen de la Presse of Paris.
In 1997 he receives the Award for culture by the Italian Culture Institute (Istituto Italiano di Cultura) and the University of California (UCLA) in Los Angeles. This award has been formerly given to, among Italians, Umberto Eco and Giuseppe Tornatore. In 1997 he is elected member of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in San Francisco, together with, among others, the sculptor Christo.
In 2000 he is given again the honorary citizenship of various cities in Florida.
In July 2002 his publishing house leaves the historical headquarters of corso Monforte in Milan, to move to a bigger new office in the district of Lambrate, a dismantled industrial building totally renovated by the Studio Cibic & Partners.
In October 2003 the grand opening of the new headquarters takes place, on occasion also of the forty anniversary of Abitare: a big crowded and cheerful party.