What is "scali"

The Scali were one of the three leading Florentine banking families in the Middle Ages. Alongside their competitors ( Bardi and Peruzzi), they grew from local cloth traders and deposit bankers to international financiers during the 13th century. By the beginning of the 14th century, the Scalis had become the mightiest commercial house in Italy. In 1326, they abruptly went bankrupt and the company disappeared.