The Man Behind the Bells of Notre Dame

Travel Blog  •  Michael Yessis  •  02.08.08 | 10:57 AM ET

imagePhoto by chelseagirl, via Flickr (Creative Commons)

He’s 40-year-old Stéphane Urbain, he’s trained as a chemist and, yes, he wears a cape. The New York Times details his rise to become the chief bell ringer at Paris’s Cathedral of Notre Dame, and why his musicality has been controversial.