Versione “definitiva”:
`\usepackage{ifthen}
\makeatletter
\newsavebox{\ivan@box}
\newcounter{ivan@cntr}
\def\ivanvbox#1{\sbox\ivan@box{%
\stepcounter{ivan@cntr}\label{ivan@label\arabic{ivan@cntr}}%
\def\captionof##1##2{\gdef\@thisboxcaption{\captionof{##1}{##2}}\ignorespaces}
\unskip#1}% end of \ivan@box
\ifdim\wd\ivan@box<\columnwidth
\normalivan@box
\else
\bigivan@box
\fi}
\def\normalivan@box{%
\par\addvspace{\bigskipamount}
\noindent\parbox{\textwidth}{\centering
\@thisboxcaption\unhbox\ivan@box}
\par\addvspace{\bigskipamount}}
\def\bigivan@box{%
\par\addvspace{\bigskipamount}
\noindent\parbox{\textwidth}{\centering
\@thisboxcaption
\ifthenelse{\isodd{\pageref{ivan@label\arabic{ivan@cntr}}}}
{\def\ivan@side{l}}{\def\ivan@side{r}}%
\checkivan@wd
\makebox[\columnwidth][\ivan@side]{\box\ivan@box}}
\par\addvspace{\bigskipamount}}
\def\checkivan@wd{%
\ifdim\wd\ivan@box>\dimexpr\textwidth+\marginparsep+\marginparwidth\relax
Tabella troppo grande\\
\fi}
\makeatother`
Ciao
Enrico