Jesus College at the University of Cambridge was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely. Its name is 'The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge',
but it was also given its commonly used name, from the name of its chapel, Jesus Chapel. This chapel, founded in the beginning of the 11th century, is the oldest University building and is still in use.The college is unique in Oxbridge in maintaining two choirs.
The Chapel Choir consists of men and boys, and the Mixed Choir consists of men and women.
It is traditionally held that the nunnery was turned into a college
because the nunnery had gained a reputation for licentiousness.
The 500th anniversary of the college's foundation in 1996 saw the completion of the new Quincentenary Library building, which was shortly followed by a new accommodation building.
Jesus College is one of the few colleges to allow anyone to walk on its grass lawns (often called courts), with the exception of First Court and those that are burial sites for deceased nuns from the original nunnery. However, in common with other Cambridge colleges, this privilege is only extended during the summer term.
